Vonda Shepard - The Radical Light (1992)

Originally released in 1991, this solid release gets a second chance thanks to Vonda's newfound fame on TV's "Ally McBeal." Though not her best set, "Radical Light" boasts some fine compositions, such as "100 Tears Away," "Clean Rain," and "Good to Yourself." It's also interesting to witness the apparent tug-of-war going on between Vonda and label heads, as her first CD was far more pop-flavored and "Radical Light" contains more commercial material (such as the slick, polished "Dreamin") as well as acoustic, Joni Mitchell-esque material that Vonda settled on for her third and finest album, "It's Good, Eve." And while the mix is sometimes a little jarring (from the hip-hop flavorings of "Dreamin" to the Bonnie Raitt-ish "Good to Yourself" to the dancey "Love Will Come and Go") the overall effect is pleasing enough. Her voice is in top form, and "Ally" fans can also hear the original version of "Searchin My Soul," the theme song for "Ally McBeal"...the version on the soundtrack was sped up and re-recorded; here you can hear it slowed down a little, still gorgeously sung, and wonder why it wasn't a hit sooner. In fact, you may well find yourself wondering that about most of Vonda's material.