Inneke23 and the Lipstick Painters Elephant Crossing

Inneke23 served her apprenticeship in the Antwerp music scene as the bass player in legendary garage rock band De Bossen, female punk band Hari'kiri, and now as 'team leader' of Inneke23 and the Lipstick Painters.

She has now decided to focus on the USA and its country music and offers a daunting and somewhat diverse list of singer/songwriters such as Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch, Jonathan Richman, The Jayhawks and Emmylou Harris amongst others as inspirations. Cynicism suggests that this means mining the current fad for 'alt country' or 'Americana' - tags that have as much significance as 'world' or 'roots'.

Nevertheless, despite the badly judged folkie opening track Guitar Jesus, there was a glimmer of hope from the speakers when the title track Elephant Crossing came across as light, sunny and even 'poppy', owing nothing to the cited influences.

However, this was no singular abnormality. Further listening showed the album to be disturbingly varied in intensity and style veering across the tracks of folk, bluegrass and country.

For example, the track Fairy Girl comes across unflinchingly dreamy and sadly underscored with a touch of whimsy but owes its grace to Peter Van Velthoven on vibes. Yet, the mix then fails the voice on It's Still Raining with a misguided drum line that rubbishes a track that should have displayed Inneke23's vocal excellence.

Water of Your Sleep in comparison drifts dreamlike through psychic trance of sublime jazz rhythms and on Trojan Horse, her voice echoes Nico heralding a beatific groove before perilously dipping into downtown subway laziness with Purple and Blue and the ultimate bargain bin Hatesong.

Nevertheless, not all is lost as her voice resonates and gratifyingly revives against lamenting accordion on Dylan's Oh Sister renamed for the occasion Oh Brother and on Lucinda Williams' I Envy the Wind. Late tracks O.V.E.R and Fairy Man get nearer to a bluegrass and Carter Family feel as if in homage.

Keyboard player Van Velthoven takes credit for the mix and the recording in the lowly setting of 'two living rooms' in Antwerp, a domestic location that becomes increasingly apparent. The band needs to get out a bit more and maybe re-examine their song writing skills. There is unfortunately too much eye of newt in this witch's brew.

Not that money is always essential. Surely, one of the most soul baring albums is Michelle Shocked's Camp Fire Tapes, an album that despite penny pinched humbleness is severely stamped and blessed with lost highway lyrical excellence.

Inneke23 and the Lipstick Painters are trying to find an identity clearly inspired by those hallowed heroes that daily blast at Nashville's tedious drivel. All credit to them for trying to achieve their goal on Elephant Crossing which despite misgivings still, in parts, crackles with sparks of ingenuity and promise.