Blink

Plumb — once a band, now the moniker of its lead singer Tiffany Arbuckle — first became known for purveying an edgy sort of Christian pop/rock. Of late, new motherhood has sweetened the disposition of Arbuckle’s muse but though she sounds calmer, 2007's Blink is no less committed a work than her previous releases. As a songwriter, she still asks big spiritual questions — but now they’re about the challenges of parenthood and the mysteries of growing up. In a folk-cum-electronica setting that brings Sarah McLachlan’s Afterglow to mind, twittering keyboards ripple through tracks like “In My Arms” and “Sleep,” and acoustic guitar adds a buoyant feel to “Me.” “My Child,” “Always” and the title song are simple yet elegantly-stated expressions of deep maternal love. Arbuckle enriches the album with electronic-accented versions of the hymns “God Will Take Care of You” and “Children of the Heavenly Father.” No longer the alt-rocker of years before, she favors a softer vocal approach for these tunes. Plumb’s Blink isn’t biting – more like teething, actually — but simply a heartfelt and gracefully-rendered creation.