Vonda Shepard - Chinatown (2002)

Tracklist

01. Rainy Days
02. Chinatown
03. My Whole World
04. Lose My Way
05. Rain Or Shine
06. Downtime
07. Gyroscope
08. In July
09. The Sunset Marquis
10. Seven Days
11. Promising Grey Day
12. Good To Yourself
13. The Radical Light

Teamed professionally and personally with producer/keyboard whiz Mitchell Froom, Shepard makes a strong post-Ally McBeal statement on Chinatown. The arrangements vary, from one solo track through mixtures of strings and a rhythm section and on to a flirtation with electronic exotica on "Gyroscope," yet the feel doesn't change too much: Her relatively narrow vocal range and fondness for using cloudy weather as a lyrical device shroud the album in a fine mist. (Titles like "Rainy Days," "Rain or Shine," and "Promising Grey Day" make the point, which reflects further in the muted piano timbre, whale-noise effects, and wistful ocean images of "In July.") But if Chinatown is a monochrome, it's an appealing one, tailored to her honeyed, moody singing and knack for blending confessional candor with craftsmanship. One song, "The Sunset Marquis," offers a near-perfect example of contemporary narrative writing, with words that wind through lonely shadows toward a surprise redemption, and a construction whose brief lyrical hook - "playing on the radio" - sticks in your head without in the least impeding the flow of long, liquid melody. This is adult music at its finest: intelligent without the stain of showiness, intimate yet only the tiniest bit whiny, and ultimately, completely musical.

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