What would happen if you mixed the DNA of Chrissie Hynde, Alanis Morissette and Whitney Houston? (Insert your "alternative vegetarian pot-smoker" joke here.)

Maybe the end result would be Sophia Ramos Dupré, whose self-titled EP mixes rock with just enough r&b to make things interesting. There is promise that can be heard in these four songs - but before I proclaim her to be a star looming on the horizon... well, frankly, I want to hear more.

Dupré's vocal talents are evident on songs like "What I Do Know" and "Shining Still," two songs which take slightly different musical paths but are parts of the same trail. The difficulty comes in trying to describe Dupré musically, since she's pulling in any number of different influences in each song - and they don't necessarily stay the same for each track.

"Esperanza" is an all-out rocker with a slightly alternative verse style - something which takes a moment or two to get used to. "Stay Here With You" is a little overpowering in its opening, seeing the song falls back to a power ballad with hints of r&b style.

Despite the power of these tracks, where Dupré's weakness comes in is marketability. Sure, it's one thing to be a powerful vocalist who could peel wallpaper with her skills. But I wonder who her target market is for this EP. The music isn't quite as clear-cut in this regard as maybe it should be, especially since this is the first taste of Dupré the world has been given. And, to be frank, I don't feel I've heard enough material from Dupré to form an educated opinion on whether or not she has a future in the scene. Seventeen minutes might be enough time to boo an opening act off the stage for some people, but I'd like to hear more music and get to know Dupré through her music before I sing high praise or write her off.

Dupré does seem like she has the talent, but Sophia Ramos Dupré just doesn't offer me enough - in quantity, not in musical substance - to sway me one way or the other. It's not often I give a disc a good old-fashioned "maybe"... but in this case, I have to.

Rating: C+

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