The Story

Anyone doubting the power of social media need look no further than Los Angeles-based vocal trio King. Twin sisters Paris and Amber Strother and friend Anita Bias wrote, produced and self-released (download-only, through the usual channels) their debut three-song EP on March 1, 2011. The following day, hyperactive Twitterer ?uestlove blasted out a series of tweets lavishing the EP with praise, as did rapper Phonte of The Foreign Exchange and neo-soul queen Erykah Badu. By the end of the week, an EP so DIY that its video was made by hand with photos, construction paper and a scanner was in Amazon's R&B Top 10. This one time, believe the hype: The Story is a tiny marvel that promises even more wonderful things to come. All three songs--"The Story," "Supernatural" and "Hey"--are exquisitely melodic mid-tempo grooves built primarily on Paris Strother's subtly layered keyboards. The resulting feel is electronic in the sense that Stevie Wonder's '70s work is electronic: deep soul that happens to be performed largely on synthesizers. But what really sets King apart from their neo-soul cronies are Amber Strother's beautifully restrained lead vocals, perfectly supported by the deceptively complex gossamer harmonies of Paris and Anita. At a time when too many people still think the showboating melisma of the Christina Aguilera school defines soul, these delicate, ravishingly beautiful songs are a breath of fresh spring air. Get on board before everyone on Facebook starts talking about them.