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Folk rock

Jennie Arnau - "Mt. Pleasant" - (Independent)

Before we actually get into the review of Jennie Arnau's latest effort, "Mt. Pleasant," I'll just go ahead and get the most pressing question out of the way.

Yes, the album's title does indeed refer to east of the Cooper River. Although Arnau calls New York City home these days, she grew up in South Carolina. The CD title is sure to guarantee a few sales here in the Lowcountry, but don't make that the only reason you check out Arnau's work. The music contained within is solidly written and beautifully performed.

Songs such as "Float On," "Who Will Come With Me," and "Holidays" blend a definite Southern Americana sound with a hint of the California folk-rock style.

The two best tunes on the CD are "To Live Without Love" and "Bottle Rocket."

"To Live Without Love" features a very catchy guitar riff that blossoms into an epic song about sacrificing actual love to stay close to someone beloved. "Bottle Rocket," with its ultra-catchy melody, should already be on the radio.

Arnau's voice is difficult to peg if one insists on comparing it to someone else's. The closest I can come in that regard is to think of Shawn Colvin, although stronger and with a twang, and mixed with perhaps a bit of Kate Pierson from the B-52's.

The truth though is that Arnau has her own sound, and hopefully the excellent music on "Mt. Pleasant" will allow that sound to be heard by a wider audience. (B+)

Download These: "Who Will Come With Me," "To Live Without Love," "Bottle Rocket"

Rock

Widespread Panic - "Choice Cuts: The Capricorn Years 1991-1999" - (Volcano/Legacy)

Anyone who has had a chance to see Widespread Panic (WSP) play live in the last couple of years knows that the Georgia-based jam band functions as a cohesive unit.

Each musician seems to know what the other is going to do, and songs and melodies can turn on a dime, making for an electrifying concert experience.

While WSP's early catalog on the Capricorn Records label still sells quite well, there hasn't ever been a compilation that offered the uninitiated a chance to sample the early work of the band.

"Choice Cuts" solves that problem, showcasing tracks from albums that include "Space Wrangler," "Ain't Life Grand," "Everyday," "Bombs & Butterflies," "Til the Medicine Takes," "Light Fuse Get Away," and the band's self-titled debut.

"Choice Cuts" allows the listener to actually hear the band develop and fine-tune its sound up through those successive releases. Songs such as "Travelin' Light" and "Chilly Water" are markedly different than later tunes such as "Blackout Blues" and "Aunt Avis," but at the same time the bluesy Southern Rock sound, tempered with John Bell's smoky vocals and the superb guitar work of the late Michael Houser, seems to bring the songs in line with one another.

Although the band is known for its marathon shows that feature songs that sometimes stretch into the tens of minutes, only four of the 14 songs on the collection exceed the six-minute mark. Other standout tunes on the CD include "Ain't Life Grand," "Love Tractor," and "Rebirtha."

It's a great collection from an period of WSP's history that, with the untimely passing of Houser a few years back, will never be duplicated.

The only thing that might have made the collection better would have been a second CD of rarities and outtakes. (B+)

Download These: "Aunt Avis," "Blackout Blues," "Love Tractor"

Rock

Gigi Dover - "Nouveau" - (Independent)

If you need any proof that Gigi Dover is one of Americana music's biggest up and coming artists, then let us completely ignore her new CD, "Nouveau," for a moment and go back to "Gigi," the artist's previous release.

On that excellent CD Dover covered Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billy Joe," and absolutely made the tune hers, thanks in part to the groovy sitar playing by band member Eric Lovell.

Okay, now back to "Nouveau," which takes the undeniable promise shown on "Gigi" and kicks things up several notches. Forget up and coming - Dover has arrived, and "Nouveau" is an impressive calling card, showcasing not only her rich vocal style (think Grace Slick meets Janis Joplin), but also the talents of her band, the Big Love. From the opening riffs of "Deep Love" to the final notes of "It Don't Take Much," it is clear that Dover is in control of her musical destiny.

Standout tracks on the new CD include the R&B flavored "Everybody Knows," the reggae beat of "Do Ya Know," and the bluesy "Change." The best track on the CD though is "All Around You," an impossibly catchy song that again benefits from Lovell's sitar playing. The song has that Summer of Love feel to it, and it manages to capture that feeling without making the listener feel as if he or she is being served some sort of cheap attempt at copying a band from that era.

Dover and the Big Love are the real deal, and hopefully they will return to Charleston soon to perform some of these great new tunes live — so long as they also throw in that cover of "Ode to Billy Joe" as well. (A-)

Download These: "All Around You," "Everybody Knows," "Change."