Owen cuts music swath

By Scott D. Lewis

You could imagine that Welsh singer Judith Owen lives in the shadow of her husband, Harry Shearer, star of "This Is Spinal Tap" and other parodies.

But when Owen arrived at local indie music retailer CD Baby along with Shearer, she's the one the workers were in awe of. That's because they had sold and shipped so many of her CDs. It helped, too, that Owen is an impeccable songwriter, pianist and singer.

Owen's latest, "Mopping Up Karma," which received a boost from hit producer Glen Ballard, has something for everybody. The album effortlessly moves from arty pop to elegant modern folk, from heart-wrenching jazz to gritty rockers, with a side of both soulful and showy tunes.

While Owen's lyrics are often melancholic and at apparent odds with the cheery, grandiose nature of her compositions, she wields a wry sense of humor and her between-song banter proves her husband's not the only one in the family who can crack a joke.