**1/2 Lida Husik

MAD FLAVOR

(Alias)

Lida Husik's recordings have always been about space: the space occupied by her luscious, layered vocals; the airy negative space surrounding them; and the empty space she fills with beats or melodic hooks. Husik began as a singer/songcrafter early in the decade, recording spacy pop tunes for Shimmy-Disc, then emerged in the mid-'90s collaborating with electronic musician/producer Beaumont Hannant, who spun highly textured soundscapes around her silky smooth voice.

That's the trend she's followed on her last four releases, and Mad Flavor, her eighth, continues it, this time without Hannant's involvement. The beats are sometimes lulling and mellow, sometimes skittering and dancefloor-ready. They surround her floating, multi-tracked vocals like the gauzy threads of a Maypole. Melodic hooks are not in abundance, despite the smart surroundings. It's an auspicious beginning for Husik as both artist and auteur, but in the absence of strong songs Mad Flavor is merely a beautiful listen that doesn't leave much of a lasting taste.

-- Lydia Vanderloo