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.