Republican
Kris Delmhorst, "Strange Conversation," (Signature Sounds) 3 1⁄2 stars

Her first three studio albums helped establish Kris Delmhorst among the rising class of singer/songwriters, thanks in part to a dusky, warm, distinctive voice and ultra-smooth delivery.

This time out, the New England songstress took a road rarely traveled, building her album "Strange Conversation" around songs she set to poems by the likes of Robert Browning, Walt Whitman and ee cummings.

Sometimes Delmhorst just takes phrases and other times she uses the whole original work verbatim, with lyrics that frequently date back centuries.

Yet Delmhorst's interpretations are typically inspired, with highlights ranging from the shuffling, horn-backed "Galuppi Baldessare" to the colorfully arranged blend of jazz and blues of the title track and "Everything is Music," which sounds like a "Seeger Sessions" outtake, though it was totally inspired by two untitled poems penned by Jalaluddin Rumi in the 1250s. Now that's some ancient history.

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