It might sound like a backhanded compliment to say Hem makes lite-rock with a country twist. But before you conjure up images of Phil Collins with a cowboy hat, let's clarify by saying the New York band essentially picks up where the Cowboy Junkies left off--crafting intimate southern songs that unfold with quiet dignity over a bed of strings, pedal-steel guitars and restrained piano flourishes. That's more like it. Besides, in Sally Ellyson, the group has a singer whose clear, sweet voice can't help but make even the most overcast song sound oddly beautiful. If only "I'll Dream Of You Tonight" and "Too Late To Turn Back Now" could be the soundtrack to every waiting room people would actually look forward to that next root canal. --Aidin Vaziri
