JOAN AS POLICE WOMANReal Life Reveal Records ****

You might not have heard of Joan Wasser, but you've certainly heard of the people she plays viola for: Antony and the Johnsons, Scissor Sisters, Rufus Wainwright. Working with and for such exalted and individualistic company meant that Wasser had to delay the release of her debut album lest it clash with live show commitments, but the wait has been worth it. Wasser isn't as noticeably shrill as the Sisters, as baroque as Wainwright or as shivery as Antony, but she has a tonal quality all her own - a style that balances commercial considerations with idiosyncrasy.

The songs are uniformly excellent. Real Life is the way romance should be: smooth, but with wit and lust spiking the path. Eternal Flame is a rolling deep-soul song. Feed the Light ends with a string-driven coda that enhances the sonic mood without giving in to stupor. And so on. Wasser flits between a broad range of influences (jazz, soul, lo-fi rock, new wave, gospel) that fit together like a hand in a glove. Some bits sound like Sade, others like (believe it or not) Rumour-era Fleetwood Mac. Most, however, sound like no one else you can think of, which has to be a good, if not great thing.

We know where Wasser's been hiding for the past several years. Thank goodness she's decided it's time to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight.