Andrea Ball

A quick glance at her Blogspot and MySpace pages and you may discount Andrea Ball as just another run-of-the-mill singer. Like many forgettable acts before her, Ball's websites have an art direction similar to something you'd find in a film like Juno. But listening to her new album, Dial Tone, proves that there is more to her than just style.

The album shows off Ball's vocal range and unique style with varying degrees of success. It begins on a somewhat inauspicious note with the namesake track. It's not by any means a poor song, but it feels more akin to the traditional and less interesting indie singer tracks about relationship problems. It could easily be a bad song by Beth Orton or Kate Morgan.

Following this track, though, the album picks up steam. Each song flows into the next, giving a great sense of energy and connection that powers the album.

Songs like "Bright Side" and "Letter" highlight the album's instrumental range. From piano to violin, the instruments mix well to create a fairly distinctive musical experience. Though there wasn't a track that seemed extremely out of place or not up to par, Ball obviously excels with more up-tempo tracks. The faster-paced songs work so well that the slower ones feel almost phoned-in by comparison.With only nine tracks and a few soft spots, Dial Tone lacks perfection but falls comfortably in the realm of thoroughly enjoyable.