Kevin Bronson on June 26th, 2020

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Angela Muñoz is an old soul in an 18-year-old body.

The Los Angeles native today released her debut album, “Introspection,” a lushly orchestrated, even ethereal, collection of jazzy soul seemingly dropped from a mythical torch singer heaven. Rarely have a teenager’s experiences, many the stuff of typical high-schoolers, sounded so worldly. Take “Top Down,” one of the tracks that showcases Muñoz’s wraparound vocals.

“I wrote ‘Top Down’ about a boy I used to like in high school,” she says. “He was a mystery. Somehow I found out he drove a convertible. One day after school I saw him driving it with my own eyes. He wasn’t the type of person that would flex his car or his looks. That’s what I admired most about him. All the girls wanted him and by knowing that, I knew I wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Introspection” was produced by composer Adrian Younge, who released it on his Linear Labs label. The artist was introduced to Younge’s work by her brother and co-writer Brandon, and two summers ago she found herself performing with the Midnight Hour, Younge’s ensemble with A Tribe Called Quest’s Ali Shaheed Muhammad.

“This makes me wish that we had sober fun / This makes me wish that I would stay young,” she laments in the string-drenched “Stay Young,” while she expresses some very grown-up longing in “I Don’t Care.” All benefit from the meticulous production of Younge, who turns the young songwriter’s vignettes into fully formed portraits. Can’t wait for Round 2.

||| Watch: The videos for “So Young,” “I Don’t Care” and “In My Mind”

||| Also: Stream “Introspection” in its entirety