Photo by Hunter Peterson

Lisa Donnelly's album release show proved that this indie songstress was no longer in Kansas anymore. Her adolescent dreams to move to L.A. and pursue a career as a musician fully reached fruition last Friday night at The Roxy, securing her a merited spot in the national singer/songwriter scene.

Donnelly's lighthearted, yet soulful performance revealed a maturity in her solo debut that most sophomoric albums yearn to achieve. From toe-tapping tune "Laugh" to sultry, sitar-featured ballad "Blue," Donnelly dropped knowledge and beauty onto a crowded room of willing Sunset Blvd. spectators. And her supporting cast of a band, whom she noted was "as fun to hang out with as [they were] to make music with," was the deliciously eclectic icing needed make Donnelly's sound that much sweeter.

The playful and refreshing folk-pop vixen's performance showcased her versatility and range in both singing and songwriting. Donnelly's candid lyrics and sometimes bluesy and jazzy feel-good melodies took the audience on her long-winded journey of inspiration, through the calles of Spain in "Julian" back to the lonely porches of Santa Monica in "Stuck in a Rut."

"Everyone has a special relationship with this city," said Donnelly on her six-year stint in L.A. It just so happened that she decided to share hers, chock-filled with all its emotional rigors and triumphs, with her latest LP "We Had a Thing," out now.

Donnelly summed up the evening with "Let Go That Weight," a response to a question once asked of her: "What would you say if you were on a stage and you could talk to the world?" Donnelly's genuine talent and belief in her craft (evidenced with tears shed at the show's end) will undoubtedly grant her more chances to tell the us what she wants to say. -Sara Tan