Judith Owen
Mopping Up Karma
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Currently touring with Richard Thompson, Judith Owen displays a versatility that runs from Henry Purcell to Julie London. Her own album deals with the cultural displacements involved in marriage and emigration. The arch piano ballads work best. "I Promise You" draws on Welsh hymnal; "Let's Hear It For Love" rides on Mardi Gras piano chords. "Shine" backhandedly congratulates her sister for putting up with more flamboyant relatives; sibling rivalry sublimated by Kate Bush.