(Misfitme Music)

Pianist-composer Enoch Smith, Jr. is back with another outstanding production. Misfits II is a bit of a departure from its predecessor, which focused primarily on the artist’s own compositions. Here, Smith adds more tunes associated with other artists. The menu includes songs by or associated with The Beatles, Joan Osborne, Amerie, The Roots and gospel singer Shirley Caesar. The beauty of these covers is in the arrangements, which are brilliantly re-worked by the self-taught talent into renditions that could stand along side the originals. The other fantastic element is the presence of Sara Elizabeth Charles who delivers hypnotically captivating vocals throughout most of the project. Nate and Renee Anderson provide a cappella vocals, while hip-hop artist Dee raps on one of the tracks. Bassist Noah Jackson and drummer Sangmin Lee make up the rhythm backbone of the recording. This effort is yet another incredible step forward in the continued emergence of Smith Jr. as an artist of particular note.