of these, Owens' urgent piano chords augment her appealing, slightly raspy voice, conjuring comparisons with secular folk-popster Jonatha Brooke and her former band, the Story. Lyrically, Owens exemplifies the difficulty of expressing spirituality in music without being obscure, allegorical or simplistic. She sings vaguely about life's complications ("I thought the good guys always won the fight/But I learned life simply doesn't work that way" is typical), the lyrics floating by tracelessly. But while you probably won't sing these songs when you turn off your stereo, you may just walk away humming.

JEREMY SIMON
(April 30, 2002)