Leslie Mendelson, Swan Feathers

The first thing that comes to mind after listening to this wonderful new album by New York singer/songwriter Leslie Mendelson is that it's just plain disarmingly good. Mendelson writes carefully crafted songs of love and life that are filled with lyrical subtlety and melodic invention, and she sings them with equal attention to detail. There's a definite '70s singer-songwriter vibe to her work—she cites Carole King and Laura Nyro as core influences—but it doesn't sound dated or nostalgic in the least; rather, there's an everything-that's-old-is-new-again freshness to it that's exciting to hear, especially since everything about the songs, Mendelson's singing, and the album's production is of such consistently high quality. Yes, this is lavish praise, but take a listen—the proof is in the out-and-out grooviness.

Besides King and Nyro, other '70s-era influences one can detect throughout the album include a little James Taylor here, a little Ricky Lee Jones there, and even a light sprinkling of Steely Dan's Donald Fagen. But there are latter-day touchstones as well: Because she's also a fine piano player and tends toward understatement, some kind of Norah Jones comparison seems inevitable, but there's less of the mixed bag of Jones' country and jazz influences here; Mendelson is very much focused on groovy, soulful pop. The smooth sophistication of Madeleine Peyroux also comes to mind, but again without the jazz leanings. I find Mendelson reminds me most of Suzy Bogguss on Sweet Danger—another album with that immediate disarming quality. On that album, Bogguss turned in a remarkably sweet and revealing cover of Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now." Here, Mendelson includes an even more revealing version of The Ronnettes' "Be My Baby." A nice coincidence.

Like the songwriting and singing on this album, the playing and production are meticulously crafted. Maybe above everything else, it's the way everything works together and feels cosmically aligned, whether the mid-tempo movers or the achingly beautiful ballads, that makes the whole album so satisfying. Oh, and the funny album name—there's a story to that. Elektra founder Jac Holzman reportedly said of Mendelson's songs, "They stick to you like swan feathers caught on rubber cement." Nuff said. More, please.