
In the past, Mandell has mixed Rickie Lee Jones bohemia with Lotte Lenya torchiness. Now the Los Angeles singer has added a heaping dose of Patsy Cline twang to her repertoire. For her latest album, Mandell has written slow ’n’ sexy country ballads like “Just Another Lonely Heart” and “Don’t Say You Care” that sound like classics. And she delivers a touchingly vulnerable version of Hank Cochran’s “Don’t Touch Me.” Awash in pedal steel and full of heartache, this exquisite album casts a sultry, lingering spell.