Bleeding Heart Graffiti

Give credit for this: as her former bandmate entrenches in the sound and styles of the mid-'90s on their 2006 effort , enthusiastically embraces maturity with her second solo album, , an eminently tasteful collection of that's not just an album, but a song cycle tracing the breakup of a relationship. may be following the pattern that wrote when she made the leap from to Gap ads, but is so tasteful she bypasses the garish mall of 's ' productions and goes straight for the . has more ambition than , however -- for one, is hungrier than , itching for a little bit of her reputation or exposure, so she's written a tighter album, and her performances are infused with a sense of purpose. The record is mannered and tasteful, although the songs aren't bad and is earnest enough. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine