At a time when so many female performers equate vocal triumph with operatic excess, along comes Sam Phillips to remind us how musical restraint and subtlety can be.
She doesn't wail and she doesn't whine. With a voice as pure as hers, Phillips doesn't have to. (Eat your heart out Mariah Carey.)
Best of all, Phillips doesn't ruin introspective songs by overpowering often poignant lyrics, as evidenced by her recent performance at Jannus Landing.
Before Martinis and Bikinis, Phillips may have been known more for her producer-husband T-Bone Burnett than for her music. But like Courtney Love has proved with her band Hole's latest release, Phillips is unlikely to be subjugated to the Yoko Ono/Rock Star Wife syndrome.
On her third pop release, Martinis and Bikinis, Phillips has bridged the gap between her past as a gospel singer and her future as a pop songstress. Full of penetrating references to failed personal relationships and the simple beauty hope can inspire, the album is a testament to Phillips' talents as a storyteller willing to gamble on a quirky melody if the mood sees fit.
Backed by Burnett and a host of his musical pals, the album is chock-full of societal evaluation and playful jaunts deep into Phillips' imagination. On the Beatles-esque Strawberry Road, she sings sweetly about the frustration of feeling lost in one's own desires: You censor longing and organize beauty/because you're afraid you want it more than oxygen or light.
Musically, Martinis and Bikinis is just as much about experimenting with untraditional instrumentation as it is about finding the recipe for the perfect pop song. Baby I Can't Please You features an array of drum arrangements, and other songs showcase mandolins and harpsichords - not the usual FM fare. Standouts include Wheel of the Broken Voice, with a driving rockabilly beat, and an eerily familiar cover of John Lennon's Gimme Some Truth.
But don't be fearful of such excursions. Phillips and company know her strengths, and never stray too far from their purpose: To deliver catchy melodies that overwhelm by understatement. Martinis and Bikinis is full of them.