Rachael Yamagata caught my attention earlier this year with a promo EP that certainly showed a world of promise. A bit of a vocal Chameleon, RYam can morph her voice into whatever the particular song requires. A huge voice that could bring the vitriolic yowl of Fiona Apple, and even the velvet-sandpaper rasp of Beth Orton. Her songwiting is equally strong and rangey, packing hooks as gleaming and sharp as any woman in the game.

With Happenstance she has set herself apart from the many also-rans that populate the genre, which is, in large part, due to the strength of her songwriting. At times she can barely contain the heartbreak and palpable sorrow from tearing a hole in your speakers. Along with a couple remixes of tracks from her EP, there are a dozen vibrant new tracks that reveal both her considerable talent as well as her writing versatility. These songs pick up the thread from her EP, exploring the vicissitudes of relationships and the resultant heartache. Her words are poignant without being maudlin - and her compositions innovative and wonderfully imaginative.

No stick or stone is left unturned in this thorough examination of the limitless capacity of the human heart to suffer pain and it's resiliance in recovering from even the most brutal lacerations. Her attention to detail and rich, almost Steely Dan-esque perfection makes the title of the album a bit of a misnomer. You will hear nothing on this full-length debut that sounds in the least bit like Happenstance.

The first track, "Be Be Your Love," opens with a pulsing drumbeat like the pounding of a lover's heart, which nicely sets the tone for the rest of the album's sensual bout with matters of the heart and brilliantly contrasts the warmth and beauty of Yamagata's breathy vocals. While each track is excellent, my favorite and the song that showcases her undeniable songwriting genius is the second, "Letter Read." It opens with a lower register piano backed with a heavy drumbeat that right away smacks of Fiona Apple, but when Rachael slams into the chorus, comparisons are no longer necessary or applicable. This is the kind of hook that all songwriters aspire to create and leaves you with chills.

The production is wonderfully tasty, which is served by the vast diversity of the songs. Her piano-driven adult-contemp pop structure is just a label and when she takes on a ballad she can rob you of your respiration. They have such a classic resonance that you'd swear she was covering a standard. The transcendant and soulful "I'll Find a Way" offers up a melody so simple and moving it could have been a hymn, yet her raw and decidedly unholy vocals burn like brimstone and treacle. If you still haven't found faith in Yamagata, give "Quiet" a try - this song's simple piano chord backdrop offer the perfect stage for these broken-hearted lyrics sung with an ironic lilting sweetness that should pierce the thick-skin of even the most callous soul. This one, you could set up on the top shelf with Norah Jones and Loretta Lynn.