Don't Ask Don't Tell
Of the three simultaneous releases that Michelle Shocked bills as her latest trilogy,Don't Ask Don't Tellis the most seriously ambitious and eclectic, so much so that she might have considered combining the strongest tracks from its companions with the best here to make a single powerhouse release. It's also the least conceptually focused, though the centerpiece of a kiss-off song, "Hardly Gonna Miss Him," suggests a theme of love gone bad, reinforced by titles such as "Elaborate Sabotage," "Fools Like Us," "Evacuation Route," and "Goodbye." Whatever Shocked has lost with the end of a relationship, the song cycle benefits from a creative emancipation. Like a musical chameleon as she adopts various vocal styles, she sounds willing to try anything--from the jazzy sophistication of "Early Morning Saturday" to the hipster spoken-word wisdom of "How You Play the Game" to the rollicking New Orleans spirit of "Don't Tell." Most atmospherically audacious is "Don't Ask," which sounds like a cross betweenDr. Johnin his Night Tripper days and Uncle Remus. Don't miss the unlisted bonus track, which ends Shocked's most diverse collection to date in an explosion of punk-rock fury.--Don McLeeseRecommended Michelle Shocked DiscographyTexas Campfire TapesShort Sharp ShockedCaptain SwingArkansas TravelerKind Hearted WomanDeep Natural