JUDITH OWEN
Mopping Up Karma

Singer, songwriter, and pianist Judith Owen completes a decade-old journey with the release of Mopping Up Karma. Sessions for the album date back to 1998, when the chameleon-esque songstress was signed to Capitol Records. Following years in recorded purgatory, Owen rescued the project, revisiting it with a fresh set of ears and mixes. On Karma, Owen switches skillfully between the seemingly disparate worlds of '90s radio rock and the refined sensibility of highbrow cabaret fare. Standout tracks include the infectiously hooky "Creatures of Habit," and the Tori Amos-infused emo rocker "Message From Heaven." Owen receives extra credit for employing the services of session aces Benmont Tench and Patrick Warren.
Jon Regen
(Courgette, www.courgetterecords.com)