Motherlode

Over the years, Texas-based Sara Hickman has applied her talents to everything from confessional balladry to children’s music. She reaches especially high on 2006’s Motherlode, a two-disc album examining womanhood from strikingly different angles. The first is a collection of probing, downbeat tunes that are redeemed from gloominess by Sara’s supple folk-pop touch. Whether she’s chasing her own phantoms in “To A Maddening Ghost,” putting a fresh spin on the traditional “Wagoner’s Lad” or retracing childhood scars in a cover of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World,” her performances are quietly riveting. The lighter-hearted songs on in the second group emphasize Hickman’s playful, slightly off-kilter side. “Birdhouse” ranks among the most sophisticated compositions here, filled with intriguing atmosphere. “Always A Saint” stands out for its unaffected happiness and slip-sliding acoustic groove, while “Are We Ever Gonna Have Sex Again?” shows that Sara’s wit has only grown sharper with time.