Welsh Wonder

Judith Owen celebrates the artistry of two heroes on Happy This Way (Courgette). “Nicholas Drake” finds her treating the forlorn British folksinger like the artistic hero he was, while “My Father’s Voice” is a tip of the hat to all the rich emotion that she associated with her classical vocalist dad’s onstage and offstage timbre. The LA singer with the Wales roots has a way of making overtly sentimental pieces lose their schmaltz; though still sub rosa, she has used such skills to impress tastemakers for a few years now. The pianist has a way with the somber side of life — whimsy only crops up intermittently. She’s a softie, celebrating Drake as a martyr and wringing her hands about mankind. There’s drama to her performances; Owen works out of a Joni Mitchell template, and as individuality is conjured, an intimate kind of poetic seriousness and vocal ardor is put in place.