Sarah Slean
If there's a through-line connectingLaura Nyro,Joni Mitchell,Kate Bush, andTori Amos, Sarah Slean may well be its next stop. This seven-song sampler introduces the Canadian artist to south-of-the-border audiences with a selection of tracks from her indie releases as well as her Atlantic debut. As such, it suggests an artist in transition: If earlier tracks like "High" and "Me and Jerome" sit a bit too comfortably in Amos's shadow, new tracks "Book Smart, Street Stupid" and a rerecorded "Eliot" find her adopting a cabaret-style vibrato of near-Edith Piafproportions. But there's no denying the latter track's killer chorus or Slean's glorious multitracked vocals and piano work on the ethereal "John the 23rd." Uneven though it may be, Sarah Slean's U.S. debut shows she has the vocal, piano, and songwriting skills to reach well beyond her cult following.--Bill Forman