Lindsey Muir: You’re Nearer: Love Songs of the 30s and 40s

She looks a little like actress Mary Louise-Parker and sounds somewhat akin to Bernadette Peters, but she lacks the sassy panache of the former and the soaring showmanship of the latter. Perhaps, though, what classically trained, 24-year-old newcomer Lindsey Muir, who navigates 11 classic ballads from the 1930s and ’40s on her self-produced and arranged (with Don Braden) debut disc, truly lacks is seasoning.

Her voice is pure and sparkling, her range impressive. Yet, despite able assistance from such top-drawer sidemen as Braden, trumpeter Terell Stafford and guitarist Mark Whitfield, Muir’s interpretations of such lovely tunes as “I’m Old Fashioned,” “I Wish You Love” and “That’s All” (which, for the record, wasn’t written until the early 1950s) seem merely serviceable, making her interchangeable with endless other wannabes who’ve yet to establish a truly distinctive voice. Time will tell.

Originally Published January 1, 2006