Charlie Faye & the Fayettes

Charlie Faye is fearless. On disc, the Austinite likes tying everything together conceptually. In 2011's Travels With Charlie, she rambled cross country and recorded songs with musicians she knew along the way. This time, Faye marinates in a Sixties girl-group sound – Shirelles, Supremes, Shangri-Las – and doesn't update the sound as much as immerse herself in it. Aided by fantastic players – drummer Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello's Attractions), bassist Eric Holden (Bodeans), keyboardist Roger Manning (Jellyfish), and the Fayettes, BettySoo and Akina Adderley (accomplished artists on their own) – the frontwoman sings perky pop tunes straight out of the Brill Building with back drops worthy of the Wrecking Crew or Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. The funky "Eastside," the snap and bop of "Green Light," and the honeyed coo of "Sweet Little Messages" all stand out on an effort that gets extra points for trying something different and succeeding beyond anybody's dreams.