It’s a challenge not to fall in love with Cheyenne Marie Mize. Whimsical, haunting, dreamlike folk that’s dynamic and eschews the traditional folk formulae, her debut, Before Lately, is an amalgamation of contradictions – rugged and gentle, innocent and forlorn, spacious and intimate, desolate and uplifting. Guitar, piano, bells, occasional percussion, and honey-tinged vocals make up this simple, immaculate collection of vintage torch ballads, engrossed in twinkling bucolic imagery that showcases a soul twice her age.

Mize’s talent certainly did not go unnoticed. While Mize is no stranger to her hometown of Louisville by way of her other bands, Arnett Hollow and the Carter Family-channeling Maiden Radio, she introduced herself internationally on the 10″ release Among the Gold with Bonnie “Prince” Billy – a collection of late 19th century American parlor music handpicked by Mize and Oldham. Mize continued her alliance with Ben Sollee as a major player in the Dear Companion tour supporting Ben and Daniel Martin Moore’s collaborative Sub Pop release in early 2010.

More importantly, 2010 is the year in which Mize takes the front of the stage supporting her amazing solo debut. The challenge is on, but Mize will be hard to avoid in the near future.