Sherilyn Segrest

The name might not sound familiar, but her voice might ring a bell. After providing vocals and keyboard for the critically acclaimed Deadman and a short stint with local darlings Telegraph Canyon, Sherilyn Segrest decided it was time to play her own songs—songs written on piano, which channel Emmylou Harris at her best. The result is a sonically beautiful and soulful five-song debut EP, Through the Night, which tugs on the heartstrings and kind of rocks at times.

The rocking here is due in part to her backing band, Ryan Thomas Becker on guitar and Grady Don Sandlin on drums (both of Denton's RTB2). Becker's unmistakable guitar work is at its bluesiest on the track "Marilee" and Segrest's sugary sweet voice works perfectly in direct contrast to the somber nature of his playing on songs like this, working almost as a call-and-answer. The vocals plead with the subject to stay and not run away from her problems; the guitar works as a weeping retort.

But this is no sad affair. Rather, this alt-country jaunt is like a 6 a.m. awakening after a long stretch of darkness. It's a proclamation that dark times are over, and that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Optimism rears its head in the upbeat anthem, "Because of You," where Segrest coos, "I found hope" repeatedly. And rightfully so: This EP takes the listener on a journey of awakening, and is the perfect companion to a Texas sunrise.