Worcester-native Alisan Porter made quite a splash last May with her electrifying run competing on the NBC singing competition, “The Voice.” The excitement began before the show even began, when her audition of the Linda Ronstadt hit, “Blue Bayou” was released online, followed by her spectacular renditions of songs such as Aerosmith’s “Cryin’” and the Eagles’ “Desperado,” and her eventual triumph as the competition’s winner. After that, she receded a bit from the public view, but with the release of her new single, ‘Deep Water” — which she sang live last week on “The Voice” — we’ve finally gotten a glimpse of what she’s been up to, and it looks promising.













The Porter-penned “Deep Water,” which will appear on her forthcoming EP, “I Come In Pieces,” is a compelling piece of country soul, heart-felt and wracked with emotion. In a lot of ways, it’s a straightforward traditional love ballad: beautiful and heartfelt, and almost guaranteed to resonate with fans of the genre. Ultimately, though, it’s not the song that’s of interest, but rather what Porter does with it, and in that, she doesn’t disappoint.

In a lot of ways, her approach to the song is reminiscent of her take on Ronstadt, which is where most of her fans were introduced to her, equal parts power and vulnerability. The song also showcases her vocal range, staying mostly low and smoky, and then exploding effortlessly into a cascade of higher notes.

But what’s really remarkable is Porter’s ability to convey emotion through song. It was a strength through her run on “The Voice,” and it’s evident here. In a lot of ways, it’s fairly typical adult contemporary country, the kind that’s in line with a lot of what you’d hear on the radio: “To many wonder, wounded, not wanted/That's where I was before you/And I was there reaching, for what you were seeking/And now we've got too much to lose.” Where Porter differentiates from the pack is just how much feeling she manages to pack into each verse. There’s not a single note sung that doesn’t feel like it’s drenched in love and fear of loss, and the emotions conveyed are so strong and vibrant that one can’t help but get caught up in the melody.

It’s a strong opening move in her post-“Voice” career,” and it definitely leaves the listener hungry for more.

Email Victor D. Infante at Victor.Infante@Telegram.com and follow him on Twitter @ocvictor.