Shivaree shows 'who's got' talent with latest

Shivaree's third album, Who's Got Trouble?, will, with any luck at all, finally catapult them to the big time. Their sound is soundtrack-ready jazzy, and this album, with its nice variances from song to song and overall cohesion as a work, can be enjoyed by old Shivaree fans and newbies alike. \nShivaree has a fun, messy conglomerated sound: It's a little bit Tom Waits, a little Whiskeytown and a little Sarah MacLachlan, with a healthy smattering of torch sensibility. Lead singer Ambrosia Parsley sounds a little like Jewel, a little like Nellie McKay and a little like a hyperactive Norah Jones. She runs a light risk of falling into the Darius Rucker camp in that her voice gets a little repetitive after a few songs, but she shows amazing range further into the album. She can accomplish more with a whisper than many singers can accomplish with an ear-bleeding shriek. Parsley also wrote or cowrote most of the songs on the album, and lyrically, she's in the Tori Amos/Ani DiFranco camp -- strong, but not overbearing, and emotionally worth the attention. Duke McVinnie and Danny McGough round out the trio on guitar and keyboard, respectively. They're good, in that they call to mind older new-wave R.E.M. but take clear care not to overpower Parsley's often-delicate vocals. McVinnie is smart about his clever little riffs, letting them float in the mid-ground of the songs where they'll be noticed by the majority of listeners, but appreciated only by those who care to look for their value.\nThe album standout is clearly "Little Black Mess" with its cha-cha rhythm and echoes of Desi Arnaz's "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps." "The Fat Lady of Limbourg" is a darker-sounding song, with a solid, steady beat and sinister vocals. The album ends on a quiet note with "I Will Go Quietly," a gentle little number whose dark lyrics belie it's sweet, poppy sound. \nEnd point? This is a good album from a good band. They're not well-known, and they should be. This album, with some airplay, could be the end of that.