Little Wild One

Joan Osborne first established herself as a “pop” singer with “One of Us” from her debut album, Relish. She has spent the past decade trying to delicately balance that with her original aspirations as a blues singer. Her vocal force has been visited on subsequent albums and with 2008’s The Wild One she teams up with the folks with whom she cut her debut. The result is an album that brings a stronger adult-alternative artist into focus. “To the One I Love” sashays with her nightclub groove. “Rodeo” tips its hat to Bo Diddley. “Bury Me on the Battery” ends things with a gospel-styled crescendo. In between, Osborne melds the genres at will. “Hallelujah in the City” uses a gospel sentiment which it settles into with crisp guitars and a shiny pop bounce. The title track has the sound of a ‘70s soft rock ballad. “Daddy-O” recalls timeless folk in its melody and middle-of-the-road balladry in its arrangement. (You could hear Stevie Nicks trying this one on.)  “Meet You in the Middle” is a pleasant, low-key pop song, while “Can’t Say No” adds an extra rhythmic vibrancy. Osborne’s versatility remains one of her greatest assets.