The title track to Andreya Triana’s debut disc almost justifies all the hype surrounding her admittedly immense talent. While lumping her in with various soul wannabes like Amy Winehouse or Joss Stone is understandable, her talent seems a bit more built to last. The haunting, powerful groove, slow and brooding but funky “Lost Where I Belong,” the song, is the best track on “Lost Where I Belong,” the record. For a debut, though, there are relatively few losers, and many gems that ought to be part of her repertoire going forward, where they can age and deepen through performance.

Produced by Bonobo in East London, the songs here vary from smoky torch songs (“Draw The Stars”) to yearning but confident ballads (“Far Closer,” “Up In Fire”) to “X,” an odd laconic, acoustic track, which ends the set on an eerie, insular, but powerful note. Given her mining of funk and soul motifs throughout, this could be seen as a statement of new the avenues to come.

The downside comes from a repetition of sound, as well as attempts at sounds she is not ready to make believable. “Darker Than Blue,” “Daydreamers,” and “Something In The Silence” are, rhythmically, the same track, and “A Town Called Obsolete” is a generic retro funk tune, indistinguishable from others who have ploughed the same field.

Still, Andreya Triana is a keeper. The depth of her voice and brooding sexuality alone can only get better. Her aspirations in both the dark song and more funky workouts show a confidence in the adaptability of that amazing instrument. “Lost Where I Belong” is only the first marker of Triana’s sense of place. 7/10 -- Mike Wood (8 September, 2010)