Lori Carson - Stolen Beauty (2003)

Lori Carson's lack of huge commercial success is a bit of a mystery to those who have followed her remarkably prolific career. Her critically lauded catalog, consistently mined by producers for the big and small screen, has given her the wherewithal to continue following her own muse. While rich with solo wonders like "Hands" and "Your Side," Stolen Beauty is essentially a greatest-hits record that focuses on her contributions to television and film, as well as highlights from her stint as the lead singer for the Golden Palominos. "You Won't Fall" -- from the film Stealing Beauty -- creeps in like a storm cloud and produces a deluge of breathy harmonies and fingerpicked guitars that swell in time with her fragile voice, and the breathtaking "Little Suicides" echoes Tori Amos' best work without all the bloated pretense. Carson has a gift for unpredictable melodies, and it's songs like these that set her apart from the average singer/songwriter, despite their inclusion in shows like Baywatch.