LUCY SCHWARTZ-"Help Me! Help Me!"

Singer-songwriter and pianist Lucy Schwartz, L.A. born and based, has a little of the ToriAmosReginaSpectorKateNash quirk, but she’s more focused. Her songs are tightly knit, with sad content and bouncy music. It’s highly enjoyable, even if it doesn’t have a lot of gravitas, and catchy. She’s getting play on a bunch of movie soundtracks by Sony these days, so she probably won’t stay indie for long. In fact, this kind of accessible, high-quality songwriting is exactly the kind of thing that the major snatch up . . . And then squash the life out of. Here’s hoping Lucy can hold on to herself. The most fun part is at the end–her cover of Otis Redding’s “Respect,” which turns Aretha’s big, booming demand into a coquettish, sexy plea.