http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/music/local/cd/4441176.html

Sheila Swift's Shape is a pop lover's dream
By JOEY GUERRA
Sheila Swift's The Shape of Things is a smart-pop lover's dream. It's a
slick, vividly produced collection of tunes that are sentimental
without overdosing on syrup. Swift's bold, brightly colored voice
injects every song with a shimmering immediacy.

The Houston-based singer, who spent some time in Seattle, has a knack
for catchy hooks that are more complex than most of what rules Top 40
radio. It makes sense, since she lists Neil Finn and Sarah McLachlan as
influences.

Swift recorded the disc in Idaho with an impressive set of players that
includes bassist Joey Canaday (LeAnn Rimes), drummer Jeff Marino (Jo
Dee Messina), guitarist Nathan Trueb (the Carolines) and pianist Dennis
Borycki (Garth Brooks).

Kickoff track Feel Like I Do weaves a tale of a tortuous breakup, but
it's pure joy once the chorus kicks in, as Swift wonders if others have
felt the same as she does.

She muses about her strengths and weaknesses during Hard Like Oak and
showcases a lilting country-pop groove on There's Still Love, which
recalls the sweet sound of the Wreckers.

Interrupter, another standout, equates a disastrous relationship with a
wild-West shootout. An ominous arrangement rolls behind Swift's clever
lyrics, which position her as an unlikely gunslinger.

As its title suggests, Something Borrowed is about a wedding day, but
it's also a bittersweet remembrance of lost loved ones. It incorporates
joy and pain and wraps them in a lush, lovely arrangement.

The disc's — and Swift's — ultimate strength is imagery and metaphor,
which never spill into cliché. Swift, who majored in art and English at
Houston Baptist University, also paints. (You can see her work at
www.gallery279.com).

The music alone, though, creates a vivid pop portrait that always
delights — and often dazzles.


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