Second Childhood

Phoebe Snow’s unique interweaving of jazz, folk and pop gains further depth and definition here, helped by Phil Ramone’s well-buffed production approach. Snow’s amazingly agile voice stretches from dusky lows to shivery highs, bringing out the subtleties of her compositions. Her lyrics are an oddly charming mixture of delight and melancholy, at once sophisticated and filled with childlike wonder. Whether she’s chasing forbidden pleasures in the suburbs (“Two Fisted Love”), talking with her fickle muse (“Inspired Insanity”) or crossing her fingers at newfound success (“All Over”), her tunes are highly poetic and disarmingly honest. Quirky arrangement touches — like a tuba quintet on “Sweet Disposition” — keep the album musically interesting throughout. Snow’s sassy rendition of the Motown tune “Going Down For the Third Time” and her elegant, caressing treatment of the Gershwin standard “There’s a Boat That’s Leavin’ Soon for New York” further reveal the breadth of her talents. Wistful, evocative and sometimes funky, Second Childhood may be Snow’s best album overall.