Lindsay leans a bit more toward the acoustic side here than on her excellent simultaneously released power pop gem "Uphill Both Ways" but doesn't miss a beat. Incredible upbeat melodies full of hooks and odd twists. Straightforward production with help from Major Matt Mason fits the tunes to a T. Sample some tunes. It only takes a couple of minutes and may change your attitude toward indies.

Yawning at the thought of yet another acoustic guitar wielding female singer songwriter? Jenn Lindsay will wake you up. This is Jenn Lindsay’s seventh album; both this and her sixth album, ‘Uphill Both Ways’, were financed entirely by her fans. Her world is that of the New York anti-folk scene, a bunch of musicians and writers that ‘share a mutual distaste for mediocre, well-packaged mainstream music’ claims her website. Generally here we are talking acoustic guitar, lone female voice, singer songwriter fare, these days a rather overcrowded field, but by the time you’ve written enough material for seven albums you should be getting the hang of this songwriting malarkey, and what makes this record stand out is indeed the quality of writing, and the lyrics in particular. The opening song sets the tone ‘Got My Baby’ is a love song to her guitar ‘She is the only baby I will ever need, She's got the longest neck you ever seen, And six lovely steel strings’, the song goes on to reveal how her friends are keen to point out Jenn's relationship status, single, ‘everyone is in love except you’. There are all sorts of other little bell ringing real life references in the songs, like in ‘Rain’, a song, in part, about moving, ‘My junk stuffed in the car, My lip fat from a bungee snap’. ‘Miracle Thing’ is about Ani Difranco, a song that anyone whose ever had a musical obsession can relate to ‘driving with Christina to work in '98, she slipped in a perfect mix tape, every single song hit me hard at home’. Lots of clever little lyrical twists are in there ‘My spoon is in her peanut butter jar, Her songs are stuck to the roof of my heart’, but she does admit ‘A girl can't live on Ani alone’ and wonders about her hero ‘Did you ever play 5 lame shows in a row, With one once in a while that kept you goin?’, a very honest and appealing song. The delivery is not dissimilar to the Waitresses (if you recall that ‘Christmas Wrapping’ song). ‘What U Got’ is another striking song, this time about the mixed up emotions of seeing a friend becoming successful ‘I don't see you in the clubs no more, You've ascended through the boardroom door’, ‘Your life is high and soft, My life is what I got’. Sadly it's perhaps not all that likely that a record of this style will ever shift mega units, but that shouldn’t detract from its ridiculously high quality, and the reality, honesty and humour in Jenn’s writing.

What do Nelly, Conor Oberst (A.K.A. Bright Eyes) and Jenn Lindsay all have in common?! No, it’s not their awesome folk music you silly guys, you!!!! Actually, all three are guilty of releasing two albums in one year. My mother just walked into the kitchen where I am facing the glare of my laptop, listening to Jenn Lindsay’s newest, Perfect Handful, which was released this year along with Uphill Both Ways and Mom goes on in her motherly way of how pretty she thinks Jenn’s voice is and how calming her music is. Indeed, after listening to and reviewing Uphill Both Ways earlier this year, I find Jenn much calmer on Perfect Handful and it’s hard not to compare the two albums to each other. So as pessimistic and vengeful as Uphill was - sounding much like a post-breakup record - Perfect Handful is the other side, sweet and open, she sounds in love, strumming her guitar with a lot less fury and after other female folk tragedies (I shall not name names) Jenn Lindsay is quite refreshing, never selling out to the ever-tempting techno beats and sexier boots. She doesn’t really play into much of an image at all, the multi-instrumentalist’s sound is a grass roots approach of folk basics blended with her sometimes sweet sometimes sultry poetry and her ironic lyrics bring out the awkwardness of every girl in a classy way. She’s not as laugh-out-loud funny on Perfect Handful as she’s been in the past and I have yet to hear a song that makes me want to both bawl and crack up as Uphill’s “Kitchen Sink” but Perfect Handful is much more solid in comparison to the former randomness and I’d like to think that this is a sign Jenn’s finally feeling the security she seemed to be lacking. Perfect Handful’s first track “Got My Baby” is an ode to her true love - her guitar, but the real gem on this record is “Rain.” It’s not a breakup song, or a love song exactly, it’s more of a real-deal-anthem for lovers, “You are made with dependable stitching/ It's an easy tradition to love you more and more/ That's what my heart's for.” The haunting, piano laced “Night Train” and “Don’t You Know” are also true proof of what this girl can do.

Jenn Lindsay’s “Perfect Handful” has softhearted messages of adulation with a graceful vocalist yet many of the songs have an overtly carnal undercurrent that might not sit well with some listeners. The first song starts off with systematic guitar chords then the song snaps into high gear. Yet, the lyrics sound slightly abnormal which might make listeners uneasy with lines like, “Hey I got my baby, she is the only thing that I will ever need... she’s got the longest neck you’ve ever seen…we make sounds together deep in the dark.” The second song has more practiced guitar play but then becomes more powerful with lyrics like, “Hang your worries at the door and lay here on the ground. Listen to the world doing her rounds.” The third song has drumming and reminisces about how a relative’s courtship made Lindsay realize what a gift she had found in her own life with lines like, “Grandpa asked for grandma’s hand one weekend… I knew you were a good thing the very first night…three years later I know I was right.” Lindsay’s elation at her good fortune resounds on this track. The fourth song has some harmonica in the intro, which diverts from what the album has conveyed so far. Lindsay’s soft-spoken voice combined with very emotional lyrics make for a delightful mix but the sometimes-blatant sexuality might turn off some listeners. Reviewer: Sari N. Kent