(self-released)

www.carleywolf.com

Americana aficionados may find it faintly ludicrous, if not aggravating, that Norah Jones announces she's ditching MOR pop for roots music and every journalist on the planet wants to lick her piano pedals, but across the land deserving unknowns with far more authenticity and pizzazz than Jones continue to toil as, well, unknowns. I mention this only because (a) Jones is in the news right now; (b) and Austin songstress Carley Wolf has been compared to Jones in past reviews. Not necessarily without cause; at times she shares that same vulnerable, ingénue quality that's guaranteed to melt hearts. And her style touches upon pop, folk, country, jazz and even classical at times - a winning hybrid, just like Jones.

Still, one could do far worse than to take Wolf on her own terms. She terms her music "gypsy folk rock," and the jaunty, strummy opening track is called "Gypsy Soul Blues," so if label we must, those ain't too far off. In fact, "gypsy" may be the operative term here, as Wolf demonstrates her wanderlust across the course of these ten tracks. Abetted by players on loan from the Belleville Outfit, Shotgun Party and The Blue Hit, Wolf shines on such highlights as the gently lilting "Cold Dead Fingers," a countryish ballad reminiscent of some of Alejandro Escovedo's strings-laden compositions; the brushed-percussion, soul-jazz infused title track; and the European-flavored "Whole Hearted Lover," and uptempo blend of swing, blues and café culture. Wolf's a gifted multiinstrumentalist, by the way, playing at various points guitar, upright bass, mandolin, banjo, pump organ and keyboards.

Throughout, her expressive voice, terminally sexy but with an understated quality that gets under your skin through a slow process of seduction, remains the focus (credit to collaborators and coproducers Steve Collins and Jonathan Konya for recognizing that aural asset). Like her hero Tom Waits (she'll confirm that statement), it's a memorable voice that takes on its own singular identity, and as she charts her life, her loves and maybe even a few losses, too, you'll want to follow her path.

A musical nomad by any estimation, Wolf - like the cover rendering by artist Jet Whitt - proves to be a tempting mystery worth unraveling. Surprises await.

Standout Tracks: "Whole Hearted Lover," "Run Into the Sun," "Cold Dead Fingers" FRED MILLS

Carley Wolf is currently touring with her band The Howls. Dates at her MySpace page: www.myspace.com/carleywolf.

Video for "Run Into the Sun":