Tracey Thomas

Akron's Tracey Thomas has loved, lost, and rocked as much as almost anyone in Northeast Ohio. She has opened for the Dead Boys, Michael Stanley, and Chi-Pig playing in bands such as Unit 5, which begat Gone to Egypt, which begat Personna 74, which saw her mutate from a post-punk queen to a regal performer. Ghost Town, her fourth solo disc, is the kind of lush singer-songwriter fare that makes adult-alternative radio worth your donations.

On the title track, Thomas' fragile voice reflects on a long, lonely night. Although she wanders on the disc's sole throwaway, "All Roads Lead to You," at least its coffeehouse ramblings come early. Steel guitar and cello creep in as the disc transforms from sun-kissed rock to rainy-day Americana. The disc closes with a real shot of red, white, and blue. Thomas unplugs the Boss' "Dancing in the Dark," slowing down the arena-rocker, but making it her own in the process.