Roots

The latest CD releases reviewed

SHAWN MULLINS
Honeydew Vanguard **** 

There is no shortage of American singer-songwriters, but finding one with something distinctive to say can be tricky. Shawn Mullins has never been prominent on my radar despite a longish career, but Honeydew frequently sparkles with the honesty and empathy of a born storyteller, albeit not a particularly original one. The characters, from weary salesmen to frightened old women, are treated with dignity, while songs referencing his southern family and his life, such as Cabbagetown, are not overburdened with weighty reflection. Mullins can struggle with the big themes, as on For America, but songs such as the ringing opener, All in My Head, with strident guitar riffs and a gloriously hummable chorus, and the bluesy, Waitsian See That Train offer strong compensation. www.shawnmullins.com

Download tracks: All in My Head, See That Train, Rewind the Years

GREG LASWELL
how the day sounds Vanguard ***

At his best, this San Diego singer- songwriter-cum-producer/ engineer-cum-soundtrack composer - little known on this side of the pond - casts a lightly mesmeric spell with his reflective, cerebral pop. Laswell's music is redolent of some strands of the British new folk indie stream, Coldplay . . . even Rufus Wainwright at a push. On this mini-album, there is a cinematic feel to the six slightly distant piano-based songs of love and loneliness. Embrace

Me, the best track, promises unbridled emotion but settles for something more guarded. The equally ambitious ballad, High and Low, comes close to capturing that special moment. As an EP, how the day sounds is a little one-paced and, as such, a promise not quite fulfilled - but promising nonetheless. www.myspace.com

Download tracks: Embrace Me, how the day sounds