*** Lori McKenna

PAPER WINGS & HALO

(Gyro Productions)

Newcomer Lori McKenna seems oh-so-neatly to fit the Lilith mold. Like so many other artists in Sarah McLachlan's line-up (where the Boston-based artist was winner of the tour's local-edition "Talent Search"), McKenna sings about loneliness and heartbreak while strumming an acoustic guitar. On "As I Am," she sings in a deep, almost growling voice, "I am a lion/I am a lamb/Will you love me as I am?" Apart from the hackneyed lion/lamb metaphor, the song could double for Sheryl Crow's "Are You Strong Enough?"

But on the title track, McKenna sings about an old woman named Mary who's preparing for death, her faith giving her the strength to come to terms with her past and her fear of the future. And if the lyrics on the wearily regretful "One More Time" lack insight, McKenna compensates with her signature Appalachian harmonies. "Holy Water" uses a religious theme to fuse a woman's vision of Judgment Day with the stark reality of her life. It's tempting to dismiss McKenna as a generic female singer/songwriter, but her powerful alto voice and deep convictions help this album take off.

-- Megan Rutenbeck