Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly are half- sisters. Both are cute and extraordinarily- gifted. Both fronted their own bands and later struck out on their own as critically- acclaimed solo artists. So as far as experience goes, these girls pretty much got it goin' on. And both have proven it-- Hersh on her 1994 solo debut, Hips and Makers and Donelly on her 1997 solo debut, Lovesongs For Underdogs. Time for round two.

The appeal of Hersh's music lies in its offbeat nature, its quirkiness, and its left- of- center approach. Fans of the work she produced as a Throwing Muse will discover a more pared- down, unplugged songstress as Strange Angels progresses. The lyrics are incongruous yet endearing, in typical Hersh fashion; who else could devise lines like "In my rainy gazebo tree/ Bless my baby eyes/ Don't you know Jesus died?"

In a time when we live in the hell of overproduced Top 40 laser rot, it's redeeming to see an angel-- even a strange one-- give the record- buying public such a selfless tour of her own heaven.

-Susan Moll