Fan Dance

For Sam Phillips, the days of star-making big-budget productions have passed. Having moved from Virgin, her major-label sponsor throughout the '90s, to Nonesuch, Phillips and longtime producer and husband T Bone Burnett have set aside the Beatle-esque pop that marked her uncovered 1988 gem The Indescribable Wow and the effervescent exotica that informed 1996's Omnipop for a more subdued approach. Still, the CD boasts the kind of complex lyrical passion that is a Phillips trademark. Phillips/Burnett collaborations have long been marked by sterling musicianship and Fan Dance is no exception: Van Dyke Parks, Marc Ribot, and Gillian Welch are among the contributors here. But the star of the show remains Phillips, whose vibrant personality shines brightly throughout this welcome comeback. --Steven Stolder