Never Home
Artist: Freedy Johnston

From the propulsive opener "On the Way Out" to the lilting closer "Something's Out There" (about, of all things, a UFO abduction), the sparkling Never Home is Johnston's most musically and emotionally expansive outing to date. Finding a sympathetic ear in producer and guitarist Danny Kortchmar, Johnston's songs transcend their dark themes to... Read More

Collection
Artist: Lloyd Cole
Spirit
Artist: Jewel
Community Score: 8.59

Alone among all the female singer/songwriters of the post-alternative '90s, Jewel appealed to sensitive female teenagers and preteen girls. Her pretty melodies, gentle folk-rock, and sweetly naïve lyrics were the sound of awkwardly creative adolescence, which made sense, since she was only a teenager at the time of her debut. That naïveté was... Read More

Galore - BONUS DISC
Artist: Jeffrey Gaines

Moving to the independent Rykodisc after spending two years on the majors doesn't hurt Jeffrey Gaines in the slightest -- if anything he sounds liberated. Galore still has hints of the commerical sheen that distinguished Somewhat Slightly Dazed from his debut, but that isn't a bad thing. His supporting band -- featuring Bowie guitarist Reeves... Read More

From the Choirgirl Hotel
Artist: Tori Amos
Community Score: 8.55

Shortly before she began work on From the Choirgirl Hotel, Tori Amos suffered a miscarriage. While she was recording the album, she married her long-term boyfriend. As expected, both events cryptically wind their way into the album, which arguably has Amos' most personal lyrics since Little Earthquakes. The surprise is, From the Choirgirl Hotel... Read More

Let It Come Down
Artist: James Iha

During lulls on the lengthy Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness tour and before the Smashing Pumpkins returned to the studio to record Adore, James Iha made his first solo album, Let It Come Down. Fortunately, it is one of the rare solo projects from a member of major band that explores territory that could not be covered by the band itself.... Read More

Strange Angels
Artist: Kristin Hersh
Community Score: 8.00

Due to economic reasons, Kristin Hersh reluctantly disbanded the Throwing Muses in 1997, claiming that the trio could no longer afford to tour and record. So, she was essentially forced back to recording a solo acoustic album in the vein of Hips and Makers, her revelatory 1994 solo debut. Strange Angels isn't the equal of that minor masterpiece,... Read More

Blame It on Me
Artist: Alana Davis
Community Score: 5.00

It's strange that singer/songwriter Alana Davis first received national attention through "32 Flavors," a cover of an Ani DiFranco song. In one way, the gesture was fitting, since it acknowledged a primary influence, but in another way it was frustrating, since her debut album Blame It On Me showcases a strong developing songwriter. Drawing from... Read More

+1
Artist: Melissa Ferrick

Having started and built her career primarily by touring, it's only fitting that Melissa Ferrick release a live album and +1 is it. Just a girl and a guitar, this collection finds Ferrick in all her vulnerable and raw glory with nowhere to hide. Few artists are bold enough to release such a warts and all portrait, yet here she is. The songs are... Read More

Pat MacDonald Sleeps With His Guitar
Artist: Pat MacDonald

Following the breakup of Timbuk 3 and the dissolution of his marriage with musical partner Barbara K., Pat MacDonald signed with Ark 21, a new label founded by the former head of IRS. The resulting record was an eerily intense song cycle that traded Timbuk 3's pop songcraft and wry social commentary for subdued, almost minimalist arrangements... Read More

Happy Town
Artist: Jill Sobule
Community Score: 8.95

Jill Sobule's summer-vacation success with "I Kissed a Girl" almost sank her in cement as a one-hit wonder, even though that fun tune surely got her all the dates she could endure for a while. Sporting a potentially dismissable, fresh-out-of-fourth-grade, alt-cute girl voice, she could easily fall into the princess-sized crack somewhere between... Read More

Good News
Artist: Michelle Shocked

A wonderful, somewhat eclectic set from Michelle Shocked. Released as an independent, numbered, and strictly limited edition (2500 copies), this CD was mainly sold at her concerts during her 1998 tour of colleges and universities. It's a shame that it wasn't more widely available, because it really is a great CD. It shows many different sides of... Read More