From time to time, an album emerges which doesn’t fixate on the struggles and strife of our daily existence, but instead forces us to embrace the positive joys waiting around the corner.

Magdalen Hsu-Li’s Smashing the Ceiling is the perfect example. On her fourth release, the prolific singer-songwriter-pianist-guitarist brings to the table a smorgasbord of pop to jazz to country with a curious middle eastern theme running throughout the album. With a voice so clear that you feel like she’s actually in the room with you, Hsu-Li showcases an impressive range and sustains long high notes without a single pitch fluctuation. “Change the World” kicks off the album with its infectious optimism soon to fill the entire album (“If you wanna change the world/then you gotta change yourself.”). “No Ordinary Girl” should be an anthem for anyone hitting a few extra bumps on the road lately (“I’m a story without words/I’m ready to unleash myself upon the world…I’m everything you want ‘cause I’m no ordinary girl.”). One of the strongest tracks on the album is “Straight On Til Morning”, which could easily close a movie as the camera pans out with a convertible driving off into a desert sunset (“I wanna drive straight til morning/with you right by my side.”).

Smashing the Ceiling is one of those albums that lifts your spirits despite the kind of day you’re having. Too many albums fall prey to engulfing the listener in its pain. Hsu-Li successfully avoids this trap and continues to assert herself as one of the strongest voices on the increasingly popular scene of singer-songwriters. Give it a spin and discover for yourself how it just might change your world…

For fans of: The Cardigans, Paula Cole, Alanis Morissette

Visit the official Magdalen Hsu-Li website: magdalenhsuli.com

Magdalen Hsu-Li also appeared on Bi the People: A compilation of bisexual artists and friends, a benefit compilation available on VY Records.