Karie Oberg sings with strength and clarity, and her debut CD Hard Times is a suitable showcase for her vocal talents. She introduces herself with an album primarily of Irish-American standards -- "Raglan Road," "Hard Times," "Come by the Hills," "The Foggy Dew" -- that give her a safe if unimaginative starting point for her career.

Oberg is assisted by Minneapolis-based duo Steve Lehto (mandolin, guitars) and John Wright (guitars, bass), with additional appearances by Meghan Dudle (fiddle) and Greg Reierson (percussion). The result is a sparse presentation that keeps the spotlight on Oberg's strong vocals from start to finish.

The opening track, "Rambling Irishman," matches spritely vocals with percussive guitar for an excellent beginning. Unfortunately, there is some degree of sameness throughout the album -- a little more instrumental variety in the arrangements would have added some zing to the package, as evidenced by fuller tracks such as "Rambling Irishman," "Donald McGillavry" and "The Water is Wide," and the more experimental touches on "The Blacksmith." The humorous "Ballybay" suffers in particular, reading poorly as a dirge; the lyrics are too obviously funny for so gloomy an interpretation.

Overall, Hard Times provides a solid performance of Celtic standards; folky arrangements by Oberg and Wright prevent them from being simple retreads. Oberg's voice is the obvious star on the album, and fortunately she has the strength to carry it. I for one am looking forward to her next effort; I hope she takes a more aggressive approach and surrounds herself with the bold musical framework her voice deserves.