L.A. hipster Eleni Mandell might be my favorite female singer/songwriter, and, in the absence of a new album from Devon Sproule, she's currently got the crown. Her new album, Artificial Fire, out early next year, is superb. The comparisons with Aimee Mann are probably inevitable, and sure enough, Eleni has Aimee's smoky alto and witty way with words. But there's a new energy and sense of fun on the new album that completely wins me over. Her previous album, Miracle of Five, was a very fine if subdued and melancholy affair. This one is surprisingly up-tempo, and benefits greatly from a full band that can switch between torchy sixties ballads and British Invasion rave-ups at the drop of a beret. Guitarist Jeremy Drake is the secret weapon here. Eleni's out front, and consistently excellent, but Drake drops in jaw-dropping squalls and chiming runs on almost every song. There's a song here called "Bigger Burn" that may be the most musical fun I've had in months.

I can't wait for y'all to hear it so that we can discuss it in more detail. It's always a treat to encounter intelligent, witty songwriting and fine singing. It's even more fun when it's accompanied by great guitar work and guys who bash the hell out of the drum kit.

Terrific news. I liked her last album well enough, but there wasn't enough variety in mood or texture to make it the really compelling album that it could have been.

There's a lot to like about this album. Mandell just gets better and better as a songwriting; her lyrics here are so nimble and light, clever without being showy and personal without being bland. And the band she's recruited is obviously really talented. I do wish they were given more of a chance to cut loose, though-- they're mostly in a supporting role here, which I guess makes sense for a singer-songwriter album, but some of these songs seem to beg for something a little more wild and unhinged. As it is, the album actually sounds very similar in tone to her last record, despite an almost entirely different musical backdrop. But her last album was good, and this one is too-- though it's a few songs too long-- so I'm really not complaining.

She's a wonderful songwriter. And for me, the difference this time is the band, and the fact that they're able to cut loose, at least on a few tracks. The solo that Jeremy Drake, the guitarist, turns in at the end of "Two Faces" reminds me of Shoot Out the Lights-era Richard Thompson. It's jagged, discordant, and a wondrous thing. And he does chiming British Invasion and early Pretenders (see "Cracked") really well, too. Eleni's always been good. She still is. But I think the more visceral accompaniment lifts this album into Something Really Special territory. Except for the more generic metaphysical tracks ("God Is Love" and "I Love Planet Earth"), which are mildly disappointing, this new album is a delightful combination of witty songwriting, sexy singing, and a very fine band.