Fall of Spring: Lonely Drifter Karen

Like Joanna Newsom, Tanja Frinta combines girlish vocals with songs soaked in nature imagery. Frinta doesn't have Newsom's intensity, but this second album oozes charm and wistful melody. Frinta and her sidekicks, keyboardist Marc Sobrevias and drummer Giorgio Menossi, arrange their cafe balladry and waltzes with a clever mix of strings and woodwind, but the strongest numbers are often the most unadorned. "Railroad" and "Side by Side", both husky songs of regret with a 1950s feel, suggest Frinta has a future as a torch singer.