Sam Phillips - The Indescribable Wow (1988)

Sam Phillips' aptly titled secular debut is a pop marvel, a bright, colorful collection produced with verve by T-Bone Burnett. At times, Phillips' sweet voice and bouncy songs conjure the spirit of prime girl-group-era pop, but her mature, pointed lyrics -- largely devoted to sophisticated dissections of modern relationships -- shrug off such easy comparisons. Similarly, Burnett's production straddles both the past and the present -- for all the 1960s nods of the Beach Boys-like "I Can't Stop Crying" or the Beatlesque "Remorse," The Indescribable Wow never sounds dated or retro, just timeless.

Tracks:

1 I Don't Want To Fall In Love 2:51
2 I Don't Know How To Say Goodbye To You 3:19
3 Flame 2:35
4 Remorse 3:43
5 What Do I Do 3:58
6 I Can't Stop Crying 3:21
7 Holding On To The Earth 3:02
8 She Can't Tell Time 3:58
9 What You Don’t Want To Hear 3:05
10 Out Of Time 4:24