** Meredith Brooks

BLURRING THE EDGES

(Capitol)

Meredith Brooks is a good singer crushed by everyone she sounds like -- not to mention some weak songwriting. On the pop/alternative rockers, which brim with fuzzy guitars and steady beats, she's Alanis. She's got the swoons, the trills, and the end-of-phrase voice-cracks (yodels?) down pat. On the poppier, reverb- and slide-guitar-laden numbers, when her voice sounds less harsh and more melodic, she's Sheryl Crow, and she mimics the speech-sing of Crow's "All I Wanna Do." Whether this emulation is conscious or not, one thing's for certain: she may sound like 'em, but she hasn't got songs like 'em.

Sure, three or four numbers here, as well as parts of others, offer well-structured melodies, catchy hooks, and powerful choruses, the most notable being "Wash My Hands." But the remainder is mired in predictable chord progressions, non-melodic shouting, and uninspired lyrics. On the topic of angst-ridden youth, we get, "You don't have to shout to be heard/(Who says dark is deep)/You'd rather flip the bird/(I'd rather show you signs of peace)." Lines like these suggest that instead of merely Blurring the Edges, Brooks has lost focus.

-- Y. Ryan Gonen