Last year's Dyed in the Wool continues to explore the darker corners of rock, with additional help from members of the Rachels and the Rock*A*Teens, among others. Like a flashlight shining in a darkened room, Wright's lyrics are shaded, hidden, nigh inscrutable, inviting many meanings, more fragments of feeling and expression wedded to her earnest vocals. "You fiend, you friend, you confidant/You hold me against my will/I scurry and scant this hectic step/You climb adrift this boorish racket," she sings forlornly on "The Hem Around Us." If somewhat oblique, there's nonetheless an undeniable narrative to her songs, as often conveyed musically as lyrically. Steve Albini's engineering adds to the music's stark, harrowing quality--think PJ Harvey with Thom Yorke's mood disorder. As impressive as her recorded output is, Wright's live shows are even more effective at conveying the theatricality of her music. Here Wright's mercurial vocals find an audience to connect with, drawing you into her three-penny operas and then bringing them home with performances that register like a guttural blow. This isn't about foot-tapping or even the slow, barely perceptible head nod, but rather the rapt attention accorded a roadside accident victim as we rubberneck past. Wright's a singular talent with a bold, unique vision.