October Browne

October Browne does something cool on her debut. She takes her Celtic folk roots and steers a path away from ethereal overproduction and towards adolescent pop. Tunes like "Distant Shore," "I Just Wanna Dance" and "Song Of O" (with a rudimentary Dylan harp lick) are way hooky and vulnerable. Think Sam Phillips with a great British accent. It's not till the fifth track, "Faithless," that this London native reveals her Sandy Denny/Richard Thompson discipleship - not exactly a bad thing. As for the traditional, "Foggy Dew" she makes beautiful and with groove. Having paid her dues in Toronto bands like Morgaine Le Fay, Browne takes hardly a misstep (although I could live without hoe-down, "The Gate"). As a closer, George Harrison's "Govinda" is properly resonant. Good songs, great vocals.