Angel Food for Thought (Remastered)

Sort of a cross between Laurie Anderson (the ironic, winking spoken word pieces) and Jane Siberry (the ethereal, delicate art pop songs), with just a little of her friends the Barenaked Ladies thrown in (Cadell started in the same Toronto music-and-comedy scene, and bassist Jim Creeggan plays on this album), Meryn Cadell is part confessional poet, part humorist, and part songstress. The most effective pieces on this, her 1992 debut album, are the spoken word entries, in which Cadell muses on topics focusing on ironic fantasies lifted from bra advertisements ("Maidenform") and toys ("Barbie"). The songs aren't quite as effective, as Cadell's much more effective with words than music, both as a writer and as a performer, but they're pleasant enough. The album's highlight — indeed, probably the high point of Cadell's career — is "The Sweater," a tale of junior high dreams and humiliation that's almost painful to listen to but also endearingly hilarious. [The 2007 reissue features four bonus tracks.]