You See This River includes 13 other tracks by the Virginia-born singer and songwriter, with the help of a number of collaborators, including New York’s Blue Room collective of musicians and guest vocals from Grammy Award-winning artist Paula Cole. Per the album’s press release, the record is inspired by some life-changing developments in Barnett’s personal and professional lives, including her ongoing struggles to maintain a successful career, balancing that career with raising her daughter, and the heartbreaking decision to call time on a 15-year-marriage.

That’s heavy material for any artist, but on You See This River, Barnett distills it all into a collection of songs that capture each painful or gratifying moment. The former backup singer and session performer (who, according to her official biography, has sung backup for the likes of Celine Dion) has worked hard to establish her own musical identity, and that journey comes through in the record. Music fans will be able to hear a sound that evolves track by track, while Barnett has the opportunity to tell her individual story in her own voice, and doesn’t shy from singing about things that are hard or dark or complicated.

With the added contributions from other musicians on the record, You See This River feels very much like the musical manifestation of Janie Barnett’s life story. She has brought her journey to the table and, with the help of her friends, made it an album that any music fan can identify with. This is a record that shouldn’t fly under the radar for long, because it’s established that Barnett deserves a place in the music world all her own.

In addition to the album release, Barnett is preparing a holiday concert for next month. Janie Barnett’s Urban Americana Holiday Party will take place at New York’s City Winery NYC on Dec. 3 at 12 p.m. with special guests to be announced. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased through the venue’s website.

You See This River is now available on iTunes. Below are Janie Barnett’s upcoming tour dates:

Dec. 03 – New York, NY – City Winery NYC
Dec. 16 – Natick, NY – The Center for Arts Natick

For more on Janie Barnett, visit her artist page at AXS.