***½
Phillips, with help from husband-producer T Bone Burnett and mixologist Tchad Blake, now has made three records in a row that draw on the heady neo-psychedelia of the Beatles' "Revolver." For all its sophistication and attention to detail, "Martinis and Bikinis" never sounds cluttered or fussy. Every sonic element has a purpose: the greater glory of the dozen highly melodic pop originals that make up this album. The sole nonoriginal, John Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth," finishes the disc in grand style, a summation of Phillips' larger purpose. Although acknowledging the moral ambivalence that is becoming increasingly the way of the world, the characters in Phillips' songs struggle not to succumb. At times her wordplay is too obvious or blunt, verging on preachiness, but more often Phillips' outrage rings true, and her wonderment can be as intoxicating as the music: "When I fall, I'm amazed by it all."