Second Cup Cafe: A Fine Frenzy

(CBS)  At only 22-years-old, singer and pianist Alison Sudol sings with a controlled tone and fragile - yet raw - emotion.

This quality is evident in her song "Almost Lover," where her listeners can get a sense of a strong, yet aching heart.

Sudol reeled her audience in on The Saturday Early Show Second Cup Cafe, where she performed songs from her new album, "One Cell in the Sea" (Virgin Records).

A self-taught piano player described to have "hypnotic piano arrangements under classic American melody," Sudol's music uniquely captivates her audience.

Born to dramatic arts teacher parents in rainy Seattle, Sudol moved with her single mother to where the sun shines brighter in Los Angeles at the tender age of 5.

While frequently moving around the city, Sudol became an avid reader with a fascination for the literary works of C.S. Lewis, E.B. White, Lewis Carroll and Charles Dickens. Today, Sudol's lyrics have benefited from her literary interests.

Her flair for melodrama has stemmed from her love of British rock bands such as Aqualung, Radiohead and Keane.

Also inspired by musical legends Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin, by and modern day artists like Coldplay, Bjork and Sigur Roth, Sudol intertwines these various genres.

Sudol has even grabbed the attention of actress Selma Blair, who told Interview Magazine that "her music is haunting."
By Melissa Castellanos