Talia has laid a loyal local foundation in Salt Lake City clubs for over a decade, and later made her name on national tours and jam festivals from coast to coast. Keys’ vintage ethos, as well as her trademark fire and brimstone stage presence, are an amalgam of her journey, identity, influences; a new twist on the rock n’ roll troubadour singing songs of struggle and ultimately, triumph.” B.Getz – Live For Live Music
Ms. Talia Keys wields something special; Utah’s famed firebrand just knows how to take firm hold of a tune, climb inside that number, inhabit a character, and make that joint her own. Whether a biting song by her hand, or in the case of “I Put A Spell On You”, an inter-generational chestnut dating back nearly seventy years. Though primarily made famous by Bay Area freedom rockers Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Screamin’ Jay Hawkins-penned classic traces gritty roots back to 1956, and remains an essential part of the American songbook to this day.
Over the years, this haunting R&B cut has been touched by trailblazers like Nina Simone and Annie Lennox, and later reimagined by British-Egyptian siren Natacha Atlas. A bold choice to cover, Keys at once dials into the vintage, while ushering in a contemporary vibe that nods towards neo-soul. Subtle electric piano makes a plush–yet-understated bed for her Leslie-drenched guitar work; Talia digs into her blues bag with a determined wail, a choice tone that owes a little sauce to jazz giant John Scofield. However, the star of this song is her lead vocal, injected with a confident, raw, intimate vulnerability that makes the listener a spellbound believer in just over three minutes. – B. Getz
