Ethereal sounds hang back, languidly waiting for the rest of the instruments to catch up, while a compelling singer describes a litany of trippy surroundings in her slo-mo nosedive down to the ocean floor. The intensity builds to a climax, a rush, a tornado with Patti Smith and rock mythology itself at its centre, and NYSSA as the muse and director of this whirling vortex. NYSSA has produced a majestic body of work that spans the spectrum from country to pop, from disco to punk, to operatic, blow-your-socks-off rock. Her charisma and defiance are firmly planted in the heart of every song; a gender- and genre-bending subverter who arrests listeners with remarkable originality. NYSSA’s lyrics contain lucid imagery, brought to life by exhilarating music, regardless of which style strikes her whim that day. NYSSA explores passion, romance, darkness and dreaming with a provocative voice that conveys all this and more. The contrasts between moments of stillness and utter bombast add to the mystique. No matter which musical direction, this champion of love knows exactly where she wants to go, even if her three-headed dog sometimes insists on leading the way.

— Chantal Vitalis