Quietly, almost imperceptibly, Southern California thrush Sam Phillips has built up an exceptional body of work. Cruel Inventions is but the third in a gently swelling series of consistently

Cruel Inventions

Quietly, almost imperceptibly, Southern California thrush Sam Phillips has built up an exceptional body of work. Cruel Inventions is but the third in a gently swelling series of consistently creative, intriguingly off-center pop-rock recordings. As with all of her "Sam" recordings (prior to the mid '80s, she'd achieved considerable success in Christian music circles under her given name, Leslie Phillips), this 10-song set from 1991 is branded by a kind of chamber psychedelia (courtesy of her hubby, producer T Bone Burnett). With Van Dyke Parks, Marc Ribot, and special guest Elvis Costello helping to shape the soundscape, Phillips wafts above the cushioned din, gazing down on scenes that inspire incongruously harsh denouements. Songs such as "Lying," "Raised on Promises," and "Now I Can't Find the Door" leave one feeling unsettled...and enthralled. --Steven Stolder
Country USA
Manufacturer Emd/Virgin
Binding Audio CD
ReleaseDate 1991-05-28
UPCs 077778621324
EANs 0066746305724

Cruel Inventions