Snakebite

Eleni Mandell's first two albums left critics sputtering for comparisons to back up their enthusiasm. The Los Angeles singer- songwriter had the grittiness of Tom Waits, the passion of P.J. Harvey, the world-weary insight of Lucinda Williams, and the deep vocal power of Patsy Cline. Her third album, Snakebite (originally released in April, 2002), is a major breakthrough, with Eleni cloaking some of her best compositions in a variety of musical forms. Produced by Brian Kehew (Moog Cookbook, Air, as well as a hand in producing all of Eleni Mandell's releases up to this point), Snakebite is an alluring collection of intimate torch songs, jazzy arrangements, and theatrical word-play.