Lori Carson - Shelter (1990/2018)

Lori Carson's 1990 debut showcases her charmingly imperfect soprano voice, but otherwise only hints at the adventurous work she would later produce. Most of what's here is pleasant but unremarkable folk-pop in the Edie Brickell mold, with the glossy production smoothing out the vocal eccentricities that make Carson's later albums so moving. "Pretty Girls" and the heartfelt title track are highlights, while a duet with Gregg Allman on "Imagine Love" seems like an awkward stab at an adult-contemporary hit. Shelter is not an embarrassment in the Y Kant Tori Read vein; it's simply a tentative album from an artist still finding her feet.