This week's version of Three Stars continues today with a review of Proof, the debut album of singer-songwriter Laura Tsaggaris. Yesterday we looked at Alcian Blue, and tomorrow Three Stars concludes with a dicussion of Meredith Bragg and the Terminals.

Proof, by Laura Tsaggaris
It is said that a singer-songwriter with a major label deal is like a mule with a spinning-wheel. Nobody knows how he got it, and damned if he knows how to use it. Laura Tsaggaris' debut album, Proof, wasn't a major label affair, though it's easy to forget that listening to the record's immaculate production, courtesy of Raleigh-based producer Ian Schreier. Every track is smooth and controlled, perfectly balancing the delicate alto of Ms. Tsaggaris with the restrained but varied array of instruments she's chosen to accompany her.

Tsaggaris is a songwriter in a familiar mold, putting together open-souled pop and folk tunes in a quiet way. Her record would sit comfortably in one's collection between Aimee Mann and Allison Kraus, though in many ways it makes more sense to compare her work to that of bands like Counting Crows, particularly on tracks where the vocal melody is more meandering and inventive. The lyrical content of the music is simple and straightforward, touching on well-covered ground of love and loss. Tsaggaris can imbue a plain phrase with meaning, but sometimes overplays the lines with unnecessary vocal acrobatics.

Proof is at its best when Tsaggaris is utilizing her full array of backing instruments. The album's best song, by far, is the opening track "Hard" on which the rhythmic use of strings gives the song a sense of drive and depth that's sometimes wanting elsewhere on the album. It's also refreshing when the artist gives play to the quiet and acoustic, such as on the penultimate track, "A Matter of Time." Tsaggaris shows promise on the more up tempo portions of the album, but gives a little too much play to the more mundane items in the studio, particularly the dreaded pop-country organ. "Halloween," in particular, begins with the quiet acoustic sound of a Kraus song, perfectly conveying a rainy autumn afternoon, before moving into the realm of the Edwin McCain.

Proof is, overall, a quality piece of music, one well-suited to an afternoon in a coffee shop. In her debut, Laura Tsaggaris reveals herself as a talented artist who's yet to find her unique voice and melody. Tsaggaris certainly has it, and we'll watch with great interest as she learns how to use it.

Visit her at: http://www.lauratsaggaris.com

Hear her next: October 6 at Iota

Questions for Laura Tsaggaris:

You recorded most of this album in Raleigh. Why did you decide to go outside this area to produce the record?

WELL, IT WASN'T REALLY A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO GO OUTSIDE THE AREA...I HAD MET IAN SCHREIER THREE YEARS PRIOR AT A MUSIC CONFERENCE AND I HAD KEPT HIS NAME ON FILE. WHEN I STARTED GETTING FRUSTRATED WITH TRYING TO RECORD THE ALBUM ON MY OWN AROUND HERE, I STARTED INTERVIEWING SOME PRODUCERS AND I JUST KIND OF HIT IT OFF THE MOST WITH IAN WHEN WE RECONNECTED.

What subjects or ideas motivate your songwriting?

I WOULD SAY THAT, UP TO THIS POINT, IT'S BEEN MOSTLY JUST THE EMOTIONS I ENCOUNTER AS I COME TO DISCOVER I'M THIS SORT OF LONE BODY FLOATING THROUGH THE UNIVERSE...YOU KNOW, THE PROMISE OF CONNECTION THAT'S SORT OF OUT THERE EVERY DAY FOR US AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THAT IS OR ISN'T REALIZED. AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT'S TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU.

Musically, how did your style develop into the kinds of songs that appear on Proof?

WELL, IF YOU LISTEN TO SOME OF MY EARLIER RECORDINGS, THEY ARE MUCH MORE FOCUSED ON MY GUITAR PLAYING AND A SORT OF UNIQUE PICKING STYLE...AND I'VE REALLY GOTTEN AWAY FROM THAT. NOT NECESSARILY ON PURPOSE, BUT, I THINK I JUST FOUND THAT I COULD MAKE A BIGGER IMPACT WITHIN A SONG AND WITH AN AUDIENCE THROUGH MY VOICE. SO, I REALLY STARTED TO CONSTRUCT MY SONGS MORE AROUND MY VOICE AND MELODY...AND I THINK IT'S BEEN FOR THE BETTER.

What are some positives about the DC music scene?

THE PEOPLE I HAVE MET AND BECOME CLOSE FRIENDS WITH IN THE MUSIC COMMUNITY HERE HAVE MADE MY TIME HERE SPECIAL. IT SEEMS THAT EVERY YEAR I MEET A HANDFUL OF FOLKS THAT REALLY INSPIRE ME AS A WRITER AND PERFORMER, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I HOPE CONTINUES.

Negatives?

HAVING NOT LIVED IN ANOTHER CITY AS A PERFORMING MUSICIAN, I DON'T KNOW THAT I REALLY HAVE THE PERSPECTIVE TO COMPARE IT TO ANYTHING...BUT, I THINK THERE COULD BE SOME MORE VENUES IN THE CITY THAT PROVIDE A REALLY GOOD LISTENING ENVIRONMENT...BOTH FOR THE PERFORMERS AND FOR THE FOLKS THAT REALLY WANT TO COME OUT AND LISTEN TO ORIGINAL STUFF.

Who are your favorite local acts?

JESSE ELLIOTT, MARK CHARLES, THESE UNITED STATES, JON KAPLAN, BICYCLE THIEVES, MONOPOLI, LAURA CERULLI, SITALI, ANTHONY FIACCO AND THE ECHOES, RED RACER, JUSTIN JONES, PHIL CARLUZZO, BRAINFANG.