Jacket
Pop, 1999

Many of us may know Vonda Shepard as that piano playing singer in Ally McBeal, but Ms Shepard actually is a considerable singer in her own right. She has warm, sultry vocals that can be wonderful company on long, late nights. I like By 7:30; at first listen, every song seems to mesh into one – they sound alike at first, but after repeated listens, each song begins to exhibit some uniqueness. Her music are a little bit of everything. You can hear shades of Joni Mitchell here, Sheryl Crow-lite there, but overall, Ms Shepard is a no-nonsense, back-to-basics songstress. It can be refreshing or deadly boring, depending on my mood.

My favorite song is by far Baby, Don’t You Break My Heart Slow, a gentle duet with Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls. The harmony and warm intimacy of the two singers are incredible. It is also the one song that doesn’t sound blended like the rest.

Well, some songs just pass through my mind but a few songs stick. By 7:30 is a whimsical and cheeky song that has Vonda promising her man that by 7:30, you’ll fall in love with me. It may sound corny, but Ms Shepard’s infectious sounds get me smiling and singing along. Mercy, Sail On By, Souvenir… these are catchy songs with infectious hooks that has me humming along.

So what if the lyrics is a bit corny at times? This is fine music to play on lazy afternoons.