By the time her self-titled debut EP was released in 1995, Mary Lou Lord was rather famous for someone whose only officially released recording had been a 7" indie single; in addition to having been the subject of a major-label bidding war, Lord incurred Courtney Love's jealous wrath over a rumored pre-Courtney fling with Kurt Cobain. It's tempting to examine Mary Lou Lord for veiled references to that incident, and it's not exactly a fruitless search. There's the vicious Matt Keating-written That Kind of Girl, which contains several possible digs at Courtney, and Lord's own The Bridge, a lament for a lover who has moved on to bigger and better things (rock superstardom?). But in the end, looking for clues about Lord's private life merely obscures the virtues of her music. Lord has a charmingly sweet, almost waifish voice, but thanks to her interpretive skill, it never becomes cloying or overbearingly naive. There is an air of wistfulness about some of the more upbeat songs -- even on the only non-solo performance, an electric rock arrangement of Nick Saloman's Lights Are Changing -- while the introspective songs are poignant and thoughtful, their intimacy comfortable and genuine. Yet there's more to Lord than just melancholy. The deadpan barbs of That Kind of Girl are actually more effective delivered in Lord's sweet voice, and the extensive indie rock catalog of His Indie World has a playful sense of humor. A charming debut on the surface, Mary Lou Lord only reveals more emotional depth with additional listening, and with covers outweighing originals, it's remarkable how well Lord ties it all together. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi

1		Lights Are Changing (Recorded With Band)
2		Helsinki
3		That Kind of Girl
4		He'd Be a Diamond
5		The Bridge
6		I'm Talking to You
7		His Indie World
8		Speeding Motorcycle