Vonda Shepard

By 7:30

Not Just Ally MCBeal! It's the real thing

Review Score:

(10/10)
An exceptionally talented singer/songwriter the music industry wrongly overlooked, Vonda Shepard got the chance of a lifetime when TV producer David E. Kelley hired her as a regular vocalist on a little show called "Ally McBeal." The show became a runaway hit, a soundtrack was released, and suddenly an artist without a hit to her name was getting constant airplay and selling platinum. And considering much of her material on "Ally" are covers that tie-in to the show's plots, Shepard's next move as a singer/songwriter should be especially interesting, right? Right. Rather than hire a hot, in-the-moment producer and get cozy with Sony, the label behind "Ally"'s music, Shepard impressively continued on the folky, introspective path begun on the pre-"Ally" album "It's Good, Eve," and teamed up with innovative producer Mitchell Froom (known best for his work with Sheryl Crow, Suzanne Vega, and Los Lobos, among others). An early-years Joni Mitchell influence is obvious throughout the record, particularly on the title track and the stark ballad "Soothe Me," but Shepard's voice is unmistakably her own.

"Clear" cleverly positions acoustic piano against programmed drums and keyboard accents, "Sail on By" is a gorgeous piece of pop/rock balladry ready for radio, and the energetic "Confetti" offers some of Shepard's most clever lyrics to date ("poetry and tattooed dreams/and 14-karat noserings/the children of elite/are trying to be street"). "Newspaper Wife" is a country-tinged piece of blues/pop whose story of a lackluster relationship inspires a brilliant progression in production: both the music and Vonda's vocal start off wistful, then regretful, and wind up generally ticked off...wailing guitars, go-for-broke vocal ad libs, and lines like "I'm a slave and it's my own damn fault" make for one of the most chilling moments recent pop memory.

It's nice to see "Baby Don't You Break My Heart Slow," a superior cut from Vonda's self-titled 1989 debut, re-recorded here for a second shot at commercial success. Which version fans prefer, however, will depend entirely on their fondness (or lack thereof) for Indigo Girls vocalist Emily Sailers, brought in here to make the reworking a duet. The argument could be made that Shepard needed no one's help on the track, but there's no arguing the song's beauty and grace either way. But for "7:30"'s crowning moment, look no further than the Middle Eastern-tinged "Mercy," a touching account of a woman's past and artistic tendencies bearing inevitable influence on her lovelife: lyrics like "I've loved the elusive in every man I saw/I drew them to me like they were the last straw" make for some of the most unique and honest songwriting this side of the aforementioned Joni Mitchell.

In hindsight, singing covers every week on "Ally McBeal" was probably just the right inspiration to make this solo project such a bold declaration of self; whatever the reason, her fans are all the luckier for it.

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