Heart on My Sleeve

Heart on My Sleeve is a perfect title for Mary Lambert's album. She's a singer-songwriter from Seattle who explores her past and present as a lesbian who grew up in a Christian household. She's prime Lilith Fair material, making me think of sensitive female singers such as Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan.

This is a decent record, but I'm not the primary audience. I did enjoy the snappy opener, "Secrets":

"I've got bi-polar disorder
My shit's not in order
I'm overweight
I'm always late
I've got too many things to say
I rock mom jeans
Cat earrings
Extrapolate my feelings
My family is dyfunctional
But we have a good time killing each other."

But there are moments when the writing is a little too high-school-girl doodles, such as in the spoken word track, "Dear One":

"I am a bed of calla lillies
I will make a house for you and fill it with evergreens
I will paint sunsets on every wall
So you can only see beautiful things"

Then again, she can capture the imagination with just one line, such as the opening line of the title track: "Let me be your porchlight."

The most intriguing track is a cover version of Rick Springfield's cheesy '80s hit "Jessie's Girl." Lambert slows it down to a torch song tempo, and given the gender switch, the song sounds much more powerful and poignant than it ever did thirty years ago.

So while Mary Lambert may not be the artist of choice for fiftyish men, I do admire her talent enough to strongly recommend her to those who like this sort of thing, and to especially listen on a dark, rainy night.