Homespun: Celia

Celia Shacklett keeps busy as the leader of Celia's Big Rock Band and as a member of Mark Pagano's Firedog. (Both bands are part of the multimedia collective Love-O-Rama.) But on Transformateurs, which she's releasing under her own name, Celia proves a confident songwriter with an assured, rarely faltering voice. On the disc, her songs are poppy but not lightweight, and the sprightly guitar strokes (compliments of Celia and Melinda Winifred Jane Tentrees) are both effervescent and rooted in dreamy, jazz-chord structures. Celia's songs are a bit carefree and happy-go-lucky, and sometimes the album ("Time Traveler" in particular) feels suited to the lucrative world of children's entertainment. In an amazing snag, Canadian folk hero Bruce Cockburn drops in for two tracks; his smoky backing vocals and lithe, bluesy guitar playing give "Things You'll Miss" an earthy gravitas. Luckily, Celia doesn't need the starpower to make waves — Transformateurs stands on its own with the twin strengths of clever songwriting and sweet, sunny guitar pop.

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