Welsh born singer songwriter Judith Owen may not be a name that immediately leaps to mind but fans of Richard Thompson will remember her as the support on his '1000 Years of Popular Music' tour. She's also contributed vocals to his albums Mock Tudor and Old Kit Bag. Others may recognize her song 'Hand On My Heart' from the film 'As Good As It Gets' - and she's also married to Harry Shearer (a.k.a. Derek Smalls of Spinal Tap)! So the credentials are blue chip. Fortunately so is the music. A pianist whose clear, expressive voice recalls both Kate Bush and Tori Amos in their less histrionic moments, as a writer Owen is more emotionally direct. Mopping Up Karma, her eighth album, has its origins in abandoned sessions from 1998-2000 when her then record label Capitol deemed her material 'too dark'. It's a hard decision to fathom for although Owen's lyrics do deal with personal trauma her tunes are uniformly melodic and memorable, often upbeat and always delivered with feeling. It's a winning combination. From the opening, catchy 'Creatures of Habit' to the closing, expansive piano-lead ballad 'The Wide Road', Mopping Up Karma is an engrossing, ultimately exhilarating journey through the heartlands of the soul.