Newborn
The liner notes to baby records could be lifted from one jewel case to the next with nary an eye ever batted, because they all trot out some form of the same trite message: "It doesn't matter what you sing to your baby, so long as you sing." Don't count Sara Hickman out--onNewborn(and on the logical successor,Toddler), she lets us know from the get-go that "my wish was to create an album for parents who have trepidation about singing to their newborns." Still, and despite the inclusion of standards like "Hush" and "You Are My Sunshine" on this not overly touchy-feely 15-tracker, she's concocted something special, outdoing her well-intentioned peers by performing originals so repetitive (the soothing "It's Alright") or ridiculous ("Goop's In It," about a booger-infested baby peeper) that singing along, infant at your side, seems right. Hickman wins us over with informality; in effect, she hands over her baby monitor, letting us listen in on stuff that's spilled spontaneously (and, because she's Sara Hickman, melodically) from her lips while gazing dopily at her own newborn. Occasionally, she can go overboard with the candor--listening to the ballad "Lily," written for her daughter, feels like opening somebody else's love letter--but forgiving her is easy, first because by being so open she becomes an instant surrogate friend to isolated new parents; and second, because her voice, evocative ofKaren Carpenteron "Lily" and ofLinda Ronstadton "It's Alright," will tame the testiest baby. It's vocal crushed velvet. Give this album to stupefied new moms--by not being overly concerned with making sense, it may be the most sensible baby album you can buy.--Tammy La Gorce