It’s kind of like watching an old black and white film when lounging to Meaghan Smith’s first full-length release, The Cricket’s Orchestra.

The London, Ontario native takes listeners back about fifty years ago when orchestras belted out powerful instrumentals and artists like Glenn Miller, Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald sang their way to number one.

The thoughtful songwriter opens her album with “Heartbroken.” Initially, the song sounds like it was taken from an old record and restored for compact disc form. But within seconds, Smith’s sensitive and soft voice chimes in, making it easy to confuse her with Grammy Award-winning jazz singer, Norah Jones.

Smith even throws some clever scatting into her music. “You Got Out” features about twenty seconds of dos and das, delivering all the components of an authentic jazz number.

The Cricket’s Orchestra isn’t all jazzy though. Smith manages to incorporate a folk-like sound into her songs creating a unique and attractive harmony. Tunes like “A Piece For Me” and “Soft Touch” definitely mix a little bit of Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot and old school Bob Dylan.

Smith’s wistful voice and alluring songwriting skills flourish in this exceptional 11-song compilation. She closes The Cricket’s Orchestra with “5 More Minutes.” It’s reminiscent to Sinatra’s “5 Minutes More” but instead of begging for five more minutes of your charm, Smith sings, “I’m not tired in the least, five more minutes please,” a truly beautiful song and a grand revival to a 1940’s love song.

Track Listing:
1. Heartbroken
2. I Know
3. If You Asked Me
4. A Little Love
5. Poor
6. Drifted Apart
7. Take Me Dancing
8. A Place For You
9. Soft Touch
10. You Got Out
11. 5 More Minutes