Tara MacLean – Passenger (2000)

MacLean is another in the vein of delicate young things with sweet voices who seem to wander out into that Kate Bush-Tori Amos-Sarah McLachlan corner of the universe from time to time. MacLean, for her part, uses co-writer and producer Bill Bell to support her feathery lyrics with muscular music, prompting her, in turn, to respond by going from voices of air to a belting cosmic enchantress style that propels the songs out of the more ordinary territory they might otherwise inhabit. This is the kind of stuff that easily pulls a listener in, and keeps them present, even though their focus may be somewhat off -- voice and instrumentation function as a whole, malleable unit. Both MacLean and Bell take chances with their work here, and it pays off handsomely.