Jukebox Sparrows\nShannon McNally\nAnise/Capitol Records\nShannon McNally must be wallowing in good luck. \nWhether it is good luck to be signed to a major label is a matter of preference. But to latch on to Capitol at the tail end of Lilith-Fair-girl-frenzy and receive three and a half stars for her first widely-released album in Rolling Stone isn't too shabby for a 27-year-old artist.\nRaised in working class Long Island, McNally brings a honest, earthy tone to her sultry blues voice. Leadbelly, Bonnie Raitt and a trip to Paris in college all helped her to develop her own style. \nWith the first guitar lick and McNally's sexy whine, Jukebox Sparrows opens with a "down and dirty" attitude. The just-enough background vocals and Wurlitzer chords paired with a few electric interludes give a flow to the lyrics of a woman with wisdom.\nAs McNally says, her songs are about relationships and self-reflection, as most are. Although musicians may have a predestination to egocentric writing, McNally does it with grace and more than a few catchy melodies. \n"Now That I Know" blends acoustic strums with a happy version of McNally's voice, about not realizing what you have till it's gone. Again, a common topic, but with sweet harmonies and the lyrics, "I'll be your ground if you'll be my muse I can tie onto," and keyboard stylings, McNally proves that maybe figuring it all out isn't a bad thing.\n"Colorado" strays from McNally's typical guitar/blues/rock fashion with a wistful lyric and an empty background (compared to her other efforts). It's not a favorite tune, but it displays her range of writing styles. The line, "Never knew how I felt till I felt that gun in my hands" and the plinky piano interlude breaks up her ballad to western America.\nMcNally's voice echoes through her own 11-track jukebox. All of the tracks (despite "Colorado") are full and rich without overdoing your senses. They are the kind of songs to listen to and wonder how a person could put it all together. \nThough she has a strong lyrical wit and songwriting talent, McNally's consistency is too consistent. She shows glimpses of creativity that will hopefully be better developed in the future.\n
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