There are very few things in the world as unsettling as Victoria Williams' voice. Certainly, it's kind of nerve- wracking whenever you accidentally watch "Regis and Kathie Lee," or when you find yourself trying to finish a term paper in the middle of the night, but that's small potatoes. Williams' voice will make your unborn children cry. The best way to describe it is Rickie Lee Jones mixed with a fifth of whiskey and a 7- year- old child's conscience. Whew.

Perhaps Williams is best known for something she really had no control over. Back in 1992, the Sweet Relief project was founded when a bunch of high profile musician compadres recorded Victoria's songs to raise money for her multiple sclerosis treatments. Pearl Jam's version of "Crazy Mary" ended up denting MTV's playlist, and Victoria herself, in some weird way, grew into a public figure, even playing rhythm guitar with Soul Asylum during their epic live performance of "Runaway Train" on the video music awards that year.

Musings of a Creekdipper could easily fit into the country genre, or maybe even Adult Contemporary. Mostly acoustic guitar and piano driven, Musings sounds like taking off your shoes and running through the sprinkler in your front yard on a Saturday afternoon. Usually happy, with Williams loopy stream- of- consiousness lyrical whirls bandied about, the record is a bunch of fun on the surface.

At its base level, Musings of a Creekdipper is really a study of the minutiae of life (especially Southern life) and all of the idiosyncrasies that comprise day to day dealings in the south. Williams has apparently found a comfortable place in her soul penning tales of growing up and living with her family on the farm.

One of the oddest things about this release is that Williams collaborates on several tracks with Wendy and Lisa, the duo that previously worked with Prince and the Revolution. Their touch is especially evident on "Train Song," which records the demise of the caboose as a locomotive essential. Wendy and Lisa help transform the percussion of the song into a train- like chuga- chuga, making this the little song that could.

Another surprise is Williams' take on the Nat King Cole standard "Nature Boy." She more or less runs straight through it, zapping the dignity and grace Cole found in the song.

Much like olestra, Williams voice is harmless to most, but can be disastrous. It all depends on what you're into. If you like maturity, balance, depth, and stride, you'll like Victoria Williams.

-Lang Whitaker