Poised somewhere between riot grrl and girly-girl stands former child psychologist turned neo-folkie Vanessa Lowe. Her second album features acoustic guitar-based songs in the Suzanne Vega tradition. Unusual sonics help add color. Among the featured instruments are dumbek, melodica, djembe, ukulele and tabla.

" My Venom Lover," "Cut Me Once" and "My Mama Told Me" emulate some of Ani Difranco's righteous anger, with a few well-chosen Phair / Morrisette four-letter words for good measure. "Wait For Me" is a fragile Joni Mitchell-esque confession of love. My favorite song is "I Am," with its slinky, polyrhythmic quality. Other tracks reveal a wide-eyed winsomeness, a la Edie Brickell.

Incidentally, the disc was mixed at Skywalker Sound, making it the best thing to come out of that place in years.