.April 1: Kate Van Horn at Aubergine

It’s the moment in the sun for Kate Van Horn. The local songwriter who’s been gracing small clubs and cafes with her thoughtful songs and gossamer voice has released Truce, her debut album, celebrated this weekend at a release show at Sebastopol’s Aubergine. We’re plenty excited that after a hiatus, Aubergine is back in the live-music business—surrounded by the building’s vintage clothing store and nautical décor, the atmosphere is funky, down-home and cozy. In other words: pure Sebastopol. Van Horn plays the piano and sings, earning her deserved comparisons to Tori Amos; her voice, especially, treads into Tori territory. But while Amos developed a spiraling sense of composition, Van Horn keeps her songs Little Earthquakes-era compact with infectious melodies and that rare crossroad of jubilation and poetry. From the soaring passages of “Giant Moon” to the percussive piano rhythm of “Songs for a Saturday Night,” Truce is a winner. Van Horn plays Thursday, Apr. 1, at Aubergine. 755 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. 7:30pm. Free. 707.827.3460.Gabe Meline