Indigo Girls ALL THAT WE LET IN (Epic)

Since their 1987 independent debut, Strange Fire (eventually reissued by Epic), Indigo Girls have endured the test of time with a string of nine engaging studio offerings. This new one continues where 2001’s Become You left off; paired again with producer Peter Collins, the Girls deliver an 11-song cycle that packs potent metaphors against a predominantly upbeat soundscape. The opening "Fill It Up" frames its tale of a failing romance with references to the depleting ozone layer. Amy Ray’s ska-flavored "Heartache for Everyone" documents a hard-learned lesson in unrequited love; the shimmering "Free in You" is a classic Indigo-style love song about devotion that transcends self-doubt. The single "Perfect World" is fueled by an infectious chorus even as it examines the lies we tell ourselves and each other to make reality more palatable. But All That We Let In rides on its vocal performances: Emily Saliers’s comforting tones, Ray’s tension-building rasp, and the bluesy expertise of Joan Osborne, who turns up sporadically.