Same Sun Shines

iTunes Review

Sara Radle takes the term "solo album" quite seriously. Though Mary Lou Lord duets with her on the Willie Nelson-Waylon Jennings hit "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys," Radle records the rest of the music herself, alone, on her laptop. Correspondingly, the music is her most dreamlike and sedate. She explores the edges of the singer/songwriter genre, along with the smoother power pop found on her previous solo albums and her work with Lucy Loves Schroeder and The Rentals (with ex-Weezer bassist Matt Sharp). There are a few less refined shoutouts here. "There's a Change" throws together an upbeat bounce, with playful synthesizers joining a melody that owes a debt to Dusty Springfield's hit "I Only Want To Be with You." "The Pins" creates a dense harmony-rich pop number. "Last" works off a vibrant groove; Radle layers the vocals like she's the next Karen Carpenter, giving a delivery that's pure honey. The solemnity of "My Beloved," "Can't Go On," and "Bye for Now" point toward an MOR direction that still keeps a resolute toughness to its muscular delivery.