Kasey Chambers
Carnival
(Warner)
The spunk that made Chambers so captivating on her first couple of releases has morphed into an intense humility that could be faith. When she sings “Praise the Lord” on “Sign on the Door,” it feels more like general elation than shout-outs upstairs. It’s either a metaphor for personal devotion, or Chambers is being coy. Don’t call her the Australian Lucinda Williams anymore—she’s more like a complicated Brenda Lee. The album starts slowly until “Nothing at All” kicks things into gear. It’s a snappy losing song, showcasing her range, vocal and lyrical. Carnival is not a full flowering of Chambers’s promise, but some bright new petals do open.
—Doug Taylor