SHAWN COLVIN

Whole New You [Columbia]

It’s taken Shawn Colvin half a decade to follow up her highly successful last outing A Few Small Repairs, a record which transported her to Grammyland amid much public and critical acclaim.

But it’s been a worthwhile wait, as Whole New You brings a seamless collection of goodies that sets Colvin above and apart from the current music-by-numbers offerings served up by less thoughtful compadres.

Her subject matter ranges from the predictably romantic to aspects of life often ignored by adult singer-songwriters, such as the concern for a loved one evoked by the tv news in ‘Another Plane Went Down’, and always with a sureness and precision of expression.

The varied use of strings is provocative but never over-cooked, especially on ‘A Matter Of Minutes’, ‘One Small Year’ and ‘Whole New You’.

If you’ve been inclined to bemoan the overwhelming influence marketplace demands are having on rock’s most creative spokespeople, here’s the antidote. Go take it.

Jackie Hayden