Annie Dinerman is a singer-songwriter with a sense of humor. She reminds me a lot of a next-generation Christine Lavin with a bit stronger language. In these dozen songs, she tackles love, friendship and outer-space politics with equanimity.

Samples of some of her songs and topics include "Egyptian Cotton," rich with modern female irony, in which she invites a lover home and hopes "he won't care if they're wearing thin." There's a lovely Egyptian backbeat here. "Broken Cookies" is about friendship and sharing.

"My Ex-Boyfriend" is one of the best songs I have heard about dating on the rebound. "Big Dog" isn't actually about canines. I love the metaphor.

"One Planet at a Time" is her political statement about dealing with Earth's problems before we go into space. I don't agree with this position, but she states her thoughts very well lyrically. "King & Hero" is about baking pies and making romance. This is actually one of my favorite songs on the album. Lyrics and orchestration fit beautifully and the intertwined message is strong.

Dinerman's voice is pleasant. She's occasionally overwhelmed by orchestration, but the whole effort just leaves you with a smile. If you enjoy Lavin's music, this is another artist you will want to check out. NOTE: if you object to strong language in lyrics, you may not like this CD -- although there's nothing too extreme here.