Juliana Hatfield - Beautiful Creature

Juliana Hatfield hasn't released an album since 1998's Bed, which came on the heels of her ill-fated, unfinished and unreleased God's Foot. Beautiful Creature sounds much more complete than Bed, and proves to be her most entertaining release since 1992's Hey Babe. Full of songs about vulnerability and longing, it refuses to wilt into bland Lilith Fair grandeur. In fact, it's rather simple--Hatfield strums in front of the standard drums and bass, occasionally joined by strings or a keyboard line. The lyrics take up most of the space, thanks to Hatfield's airy, sighing delivery. Her voice is perfect for the mild "Might Be in Love" and the plaintively powerful "Don't Rush Me." While this is an excellent release, those who miss Hatfield's loud rockers should bypass Beautiful Creature and head straight for the sister release, Total System Failure, a crunchy stack of decibels by her new trio, Juliana's Pony. --Jason Josephes