Folksinger Meredith LeVande has a heart of pop, as can be seen on her debut album. There are lots of folk sensibilities included, though, and she still plays solo gigs (accompanied by her acoustic guitar) on a regular basis. But for Through the Clouds she is backed by a band using rock's standard instruments: drums, percussion, bass and guitars (including a Pedal Steel). But apart from that variety there are no other fancy embellishments. Especially noteworthy is the absence of keyboards of any kind.

LeVande wrote all ten songs, and one thing becomes obvious within a short period: she's got talent. LeVande has a real knack for catchy tunes. Her voice is clear and engaging, showing some of Blondie's pop facets, but also the folk aspects of a Lisa Loeb. The music, meanwhile, mixes Beatlesque melodies with the folkier sound of Natalie Merchant.

The production of this guitar-based album is OK, but it doesn't always do the material justice. The songs deserved better polish. The quality of the sound is somewhat poor in places -- it has a metallic cling to it and sometimes recalls the rougher edge of the '60s and the infamous garage sound. Once you get over that, however, you will notice some well-crafted arrangements and excellent songwriting.

The opening track, "Needles and Pins," has definitely hit potential. It's got a first rate hookline and more than enough charm to convince even the grouchiest guy in the world to hum along. Similar things could be said for songs like "Sometimes You're Pretty," with its ever-so-slight reggae overtones, or "To the Child," with its finely woven melody. Even if there are one or two near misses on this collection, the overall effect is an impressive one.

LeVande's lyrics are of the self-reflecting kind and may well be autobiographical. "Void" carries the hope that a new lover can give her some of the things that are missing from her life, but warns him: ''Don't let my face deceive you / 'Cause the sign of age is here / The scarlet of death raped all that I loved / And I've seen a lot for my years.'' The sometimes haunting words are clearly written by a person who leads a big city life, where being on one's own has a different kind of meaning. Things are not necessarily better, but definitely bigger, even in failure.

LeVande's album may have its patchy spots, still it is a excellent record. A small, somewhat rough gem. She should be able to make her way onto the airwaves with some of the material and people would start to listen up. Her music deserves to be heard.

[ by Michael Gasser ]