Helene Cronin is a creature of Nashville. This, her second full album, was recorded there, and she has a sound that harkens back to the pre-Shania days, that folky, rock-inflected sound that hit its peak with Mary Chapin Carpenter. Cronin's songs, however, are somewhat immune from easy hooks, and they tend to twist instead of blossom into anthems.

Helene Cronin Landmarks (self-released)

The music and production are top notch. I love the sound of this album. Cronin's vocals, which have just enough rasp to remind listeners that an adult is singing, inhabit the music rather than float above, a fusion that makes these songs even more engrossing.

Other touchstones would be Rosanne Cash and Aimee Mann. There are hints of country and americana in the music, but Cronin is reaching for a sound without consistent genre. Her introspective, insightful songwriting drives these songs to unexpected places.

At once a solid and even slick production (one does not use Nashville musicians and producers in order to sound timid), Cronin's voice is never overshadowed. She comes through clearly, and this album delivers one great song after another. This is an album out of time. It already sounds classic now, and likely will sound current thirty years from now. Enthralling.

Jon Worley