Born to Love You finds Austin do-it-all Anastasia (Stacey Smith) jumping off her previous MC track in demonstrating songwriting prowess. Single “Born to Love You” bottles feminine strength (“Can I borrow your eyes for a little bit?”), and the bouncy “Light Work” expresses immutable confidence: “I’m good in my sleep, but I’m bad when I’m woke.” Standout “Murder Business” proclaims unavoidable domination of a potential significant other. Capably produced and mixed by Connecticut maestro Thomas Crager, Born to Love You offers Anastasia’s resolute intention, convictions, and cleverness, flaunting strong craft and head-bobbing tunes. With some luck and the right connections, her skill should land her on Top 40 radio in short order.

***.5

This article appears in June 23 • 2017.

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Kahron Spearman is a journalist and writer with bylines including The Austin Chronicle, Austin Monthly, Consequence of Sound, Texas Highways, and the London-based journal The Break-Down. He currently serves as Senior Editor at Atmosphere TV.