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player ready...Sister Soleil
Soularium (Katharisis/Universal)
Not since Liz Phair has a female modern rocker generated as much excitement (and contentiousness) in the local music scene as Stella Katsoudas, the 27-year-old mastermind behind Sister Soleil. After overhauling her band and spending much of last year holed up at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios, Katsoudis has emerged with an album that, for all of its muscular electronic textures and dance grooves, never loses sight of solid songwriting craft. Katsoudis shows a melodic sense that never quits — and a voice that overcomes heavily processed studio effects. Not every song hits the mark; “Liar” has a grating hook and, though playful, comes across like second-rate Bjork. But in the end, “Soularium” succeeds, and Katsoudas–a former dancer–has made an album well-suited for dancing.