Mae Moore
The Canadian folk-pop singer seems to be trafficking in craft rather than art on her second U.S. release. The result is a collection that is lighter and less daring than her attention-grabbing 1993 debut, Bohemia. The melodies on Dragonfly have a purposeful simplicity and a folkie feel which, combined with Moore's reedy voice, give the record a moony, subdued mood reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac's Bare Trees.' But Moore still shows flashes of her flair for original arrangements: for instance, the way the conventional country ballad verse of "All I Can't Explain" gives way to a misty, modal chorus.
Moore's gentler approach on her sophomore outing produces dramatically mixed results. Some tracks, like "Evolution (The Same Way)," are so spare as to be almost shapeless. The best songs, such as the supple and sweet "Genuine," are radiant as mother-of-pearl. (TriStar Music)
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