Edie Brickell hit without Bohemians

After recording two successful albums with New Bohemians (1988's Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars and 1990's Ghost of a Dog), Edie Brickell has gone solo. Well, sort of.

"For Picture Perfect Morning," her first solo effort, Brickell enlisted some rather distinguished musical luminaries to assist her in the studio. The list begins with producers Paul Simon and Roy Halee and includes venerable rock pianist Dr. John, Art and Cyril Neville of the Neville Brothers, saxman Michael Brecker and Mr. Soul himself, Barry White.

These types of disparate musical assemblies rarely succeed in finding the chemestry necessary to produce listenable music (see Bob Dylan, circa Down in the Groove or Under a Red Sky). This time it works, though.

Picture Perfect Morning is a rich, smooth, cons istently rewarding album that is better in almost every respect than BrickellÕs earlier efforts with New Bohemians.

It's probably fortunate that Brickell chose to surround herself with so many skilled musicians, since her own instrumental talents are limited to a competent acoustic guitar and her voice - consistently pleasing, but lacks overwhelming range or power.

The players chosen for "Picture Perfect Morning" make a surprisingly cohesive band, buttressing Brickell's naturally minimalist sensibility with lush, blues-folk-country foundations. Particularly good are Dr. JohnÕs piano and the Nevilles' keyboard work. The light, richly textured sound is most effective on "Stay Awhile," which also contains BrickellÕs finest, bluesiest vocal.

Other standout tracks are "Hard Times," a catchy song about leaving home and the bonds that remain behind; "Good Times," featuring a guest vocal from the aforementioned Mr. White; and "Lost in the Moment," which details the tragic consequences of an armed robbery.

Brickell has a fine gift for crafting melodic, lilting tunes which often conceal lyrics that speak of deeper, troubled emotions.

Brickell's voice is underwhelming, but she has a way of wrapping it ever so delicately around a lyric, delivering her songs in a natural, almost organic manner. Her tone is even and focused, and her phrasing on this record is studied and mature, idicating that she's just coming into her own as a vocalist.

There's little doubt that Picture Perfect Morning benefits from its overflow of instrumental and production talent, but it's equally clear that Edie Brickell has emerged as a solid artist in her own right. She may not always have the luxury of such hefty star power in the studio, but if Brickell continues to grow as a songwriter at her present rate, she won't need it.