In contrast to the title of her best-selling 2007 debut, LITTLE VOICE, Sara Bareilles possesses a dark and sultry, self-assured singing style. Bareilles honed her ability through almost a decade of toil in coffeehouses and cafes; the word-of-mouth earned her a sizeable reputation, as well as a major-label contract with Epic Records. A jazz-tinged pop chanteuse with indie-rock airs (in the mold of Fiona Apple), the California native swiftly became a VH-1 favorite with the assertive top-10 hit "Love Song."