With a staggering voice and a gift for poignant melodies and innovative arrangements, Madi Diaz is folding her roots, pop and indie influences into her own paper airplane. The sound of her new EP, Ten Gun Salute, might surprise those who have heard her debut album, Skin and Bone, as Madi and her cohort, Kyle Ryan, veer off into new sonic territories. Toy pianos plink. Fat basslines oomph. Americana overtones give way to imaginative pop structures. All the while there’s that amazing voice weaving through. From the simple and sublime “Heavy Heart,” to the instantly memorable “Nothing At All,” the evocative storytelling of “Love You Now” to the damn-near-epic title track, “Ten Gun Salute” finds Diaz soaring.

Myspace: myspace.com/madidiaz
Download: “Silent Tonight” by Madi Diaz