Upon first hearing singer/songwriter Christy Bruneau, she sounds like a cross between Natalie Merchant and Jewel. After spending just over 23 minutes listening to her debut CD however, the listener realizes that her style and playing are very much her own.

Bruneau grew up listening to the music her father played around the house. Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, The Beatles, Dusty Springfield, Janis Joplin, Cream, Elton John and Charlie Rich all got regular rotation on the home record player. Being a self-described \"rebel at heart,\" Bruneau says she wore out Elton John\'s Yellow Brick Road album, \"Mostly because my Mom thought it inappropriate for a girl my age to listen to Elton John.\"

Throughout the album, Andy Lohr on guitars and mandolin, Nathan Moon Swift on drums, and Tommy Andrews on bass and guitars lay down very nice accompaniment to Bruneau\'s highly enjoyable singing. The guitars on \"Time,\" the bonus track recorded live in the studio, are especially well matched to Bruneau\'s ethereal song styling. Also, \"Time\" seems to be the most autobiographical of the whole set. Growing up in Phoenix, AZ, Bruneau saw all of her girlfriends starting families and knew that she couldn\'t sail on that boat, at least not yet; \"And all the girls are gettin\' married and havin\' babies/So you packed your bags and left and said, \'This life ain\'t for me.\'\" But perhaps Bruneau feels she abandoned her past when she left Arizona in 1995 and relocated to San Diego. As she repeats upon her return home, \"So you hope they\'re right, time heals and time mends.\"

We certainly hope that Bruneau\'s wounds heal, but not quite all the way. There seems to be more angst wanting to manifest itself in a song, and I, for one, would like to hear more.

Reviewed by David Strickler at Nowontour