Spiritual Appliances
For one who has long labored under the shadow ofShawn ColvinandNanci Griffith, Sara Hickman shows little interest in throwing off such comparisons. Her sixth release and first full production effort follows those singer-songwriters' pop turns with songs so upbeat and affirmative that they sound like an adult contemporary answer toChicken Soup for the Soul. Hickman has grown more militantly eclectic with each release, tossing in flutes, french horns, sitars, and dijeridoos with kid-in-the-candy-store discrimination, and even when she scores a memorable tune--like the jaunty opener "Standing Ground"--she tends to lose the melody to battle-of-the-band hubris. Moodier numbers like "Kerosene" (an ode to lust) and "Dear Tracey" (a wah-wah croon for a lost friend) are more revealing showcases for her sexy phrasing and smart turns-of-phrase.--Roy Kasten