Imani Coppola - Chupacabra (1997/2018)

The debut album by Imani Coppola is a strong, confident pop album that never found its niche in the mainstream. Although boosted by the success of "Legend of a Cowgirl" and her exposure on Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair tour, the album was overlooked in a summer filled with successful female pop musicians. This is too bad because Coppola explodes with charm and talent on the 11 tracks that make up Chupacabra. The frantic rhythms mesh nicely with her rich voice on tracks like "I'm a Tree" and "Soon (I Like It)" while her personality shines through on the pleasantly egotistical "It's All About Me, Me, and Me" and on the Donovan-sampled "Legend of a Cowgirl." Even ballads like "Pigeon Penelope" are beautiful affairs that stay far away from the whispering acoustic affairs that her contemporaries are known for. Coppola left the mainstream recording industry after a failed attempt at a second album, making this even more of a lost treasure. Fans of funky, energetic female pop will want to find this album they will not be disappointed.