Birdman

The fourth album from this Austin-based singer/songwriter finds her absorbing her influences and emerging with a sound that is all her own. Her country music background is perceptible but doesn't overwhelm; her style could probably be called folk-rock, but it avoids the cloying wispiness that too often goes along with that genre. In fact, her voice has a richness and power that places her in an entirely different category from that inhabited by most acoustic-based singer/songwriters, and her band rocks out nicely. In fact, almost all the pieces are in place to make this an unforgettable album — all that's missing are gripping melodies. There are a few: the bluesy "Coffee Shop" invites singing along, and "My Street" combines Latin percussion, lush backing vocals, and a gently tuneful chorus to very nice effect. "Wind" is exceptionally pretty, perhaps the best thing on the album. But "High Holy Day" and "Ordinary Day," with their aimless chord progressions and shallow melodic rises and falls, are unfortunately more typical. This isn't a bad album by any means; it just isn't the great one that she still has in her.