FLESH & BONE

The highlight of this record, the song I return to again and again, is Kaplansky's cool, troubling take on the old ballad "Mary and the Soldier." An east coast folkie who came of age with Shawn Colvin, Kaplanksy's own material is rarely up to traditional standards, but she sings her own sometimes clever, sometimes precious tunes with a clear, springy tenor, and her guitar work has the virtues of speed and lightness of touch. Fortunately she chooses covers smartly, with Richard Thompson's "Don't Renege on Our Love" and Nick Lowe's "What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding" being standouts. --Roy Francis Kasten