Track listing: On A Hill, Dreams, Be My Love In The Rain, Seasons, Petite Chanson, Another Sky, Best Friend, All That I Can See, Sunday Song, Love

Born in Cologne, Germany, now-NY-based singer/songwriter Uta Habbig has released her second full-length album Another Sky. I found myself immediately enthralled at the opening track "On A Hill." With each passing moment in the track, there are notes of Sade's mellow grooves, then a Dido-esque lyrical turn, followed by an unexpected chord a la Tori Amos. Habbig's bio captures her sound perfectly, described it as combining "soundscapes from jazz, chamber pop and classical music to create a work that is as gentle as it is energetic."

"even a dark sky is at some point followed by another sky, which always gives us a new perspective."

The album's second track "Dreams" features Danish jazz trumpeter Ari Kárason, his leads dancing gracefully over a Christopher-Cross-smooth bed of piano courtesy of jazz pianist Glenn Zaleski. There's just so much to take in and appreciate throughout Another Sky. Is it Pop? A bit. Jazz? In moments, sure. Classical? Some obvious influence. But having worked in a record store, I can't tell you where we'd end up shelving Habbig--a credit to her creativity and musicality.

Completing the album's contributors, Habbig features Franky Rousseau (guitar, producer), Adi Meyerson (bass), Dominic Mekky (piano) and Connor Parks (drums). In a time when more AI-produced music comes across my desk, it's so refreshing to hear something so organic and beautifully human. 

"Seasons" is the smoothest of jazz ballads, "Petite Chanson" destined to make you cry at the sweetest moment of a yet-to-be-made foreign love story feature film. Habbig's voice, while gorgeous, also stops shy of 'virtuostic.' You can tell she is a musician who sings, incorporating her vocal as a component of the ensemble rather than making it the focal point in front of a group of hired guns. I can't help but imagine that the recording sessions for Another Sky were enjoyable for each of its contributors--it's just fun to make good music with other skilled and passionate musicians!

Another Sky dropped on May 30, 2025 and continues to gain momentum into 2026. At the moment Uta has no performances scheduled. The album release show for Another Sky happened back in November at Shapeshifter Lab in NYC, but you can keep up to date with Uta's news, shows, and updates at www.utahabbig.com.