Dog Day Afternoon

Shelby Lynne's early career on Epic Records frustrated fans of her rich, soulful contralto because, though she placed three albums and nine singles in the country charts between 1988 and 1991, she never scored the big hit needed to propel her to star status. Not all collections are hit oriented, of course, but Epic Recordings makes a particular point of second-guessing Epic's singles choices.

A short-lived collaboration between keyboardist Roger Eno, guitarist Bill Nelson, and oboist/saxophonist Kate St. John, Channel Light Vessel is more than a new age supergroup. Perhaps it's the influence of St. John (a key member of the underrated Dream Academy), but this is the most pop-oriented album Nelson's been involved with since his early-'80s run of pre-ambient solo records. Some tracks have vocals by Nelson and/or St. John (the opening duet, "Testify," is downright catchy), but even the instrumentals have recognizable melodies and easy-to-grasp structures. Eno's contributions are about evenly split between piano and synthesizers, and his playing is typically excellent; though often overshadowed by his more famous and innovative older brother Brian, Roger is a notable talent in his own right…