Candyfloss and Medicine

No surprises here for fans of Eddi Reader's special brand of swooningly pretty folk-rock. All the elements are in place: the melodies that are so simple that there's no reason why they should make you stop whatever you're doing and close your eyes in pleasure, the unapologetic Scots burr that colors every vowel she sings, the multi-tracked harmonies that cascade blissfully down through every chorus, and the lyrics that simultaneously revel in the glory of romantic love and mourn the wreckage it inevitably leaves behind. Then, of course, there are the chiming guitars that just dare you to hold their obviousness against them, knowing you won't be able to. As usual, there are no real rave-ups here; instead, you get the achingly bittersweet breakup croon "Sugar on the Pill" ("Tell me when it's over/So I can move on"), the luxurious hometown ode "Glasgow Star," and a rather dark-hued arrangement of the traditional "I Loved a Lad." Things muscle up just a bit for the retro-soulful "If You Got a Minute, Baby," but that's as tough as she gets on this aptly titled album. Fans of the British folk-rock scene will recognize the fingerprints of her collaborator, Boo Hewerdine, in the melodies and the arrangements, and let's hope they keep working together in the future. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson|