Six years after her last studio release, 1997's 8 million-selling Surfacing, Sarah McLachlan finally resurfaces on the pop scene. The singer-songwriter—who took an extended break from recording to have a baby, India, now 19 months, with drummer husband Ashwin Sood (who plays throughout this CD)—still sounds like the same ethereal Lilith Fair goddess her fans have come to worship. Afterglow casts a soft radiance with warm instrumentation, beautifully understated melodies and intimate vocals that sometimes seem as if they were whispered in your ear. Although there's nothing here as unforgettable as "I Will Remember You" or "Angel," the disc packs plenty of lasting pleasures. McLachlan adds light country accents to songs like the lilting ballad "Drifting," while incorporating hints of electronica on the gently pulsating "Train Wreck." Best, though, is "Push," a tender love song in which she confesses, "I have to push just to see how far you'll go."
POP
