Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles, 'The Stars are Out'

In spite of the high-test country sound so prominent on their last record, at heart Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles are a rock band, and their latest record makes that explicit. The country side isn't entirely absent here; check out the mournful, steel-drenched take on the Lemonheads' "Ride With Me," for example. But it's underplayed in favor of scorching rock, from the Runaways tough-chick vibe of "Do It for Free" to the power pop blast of "Yesterday's Love," their Chuck Berry rock 'n' roll take on NRBQ's "It Comes to Me Naturally," and the garage-y "I'll Show You How." There's some infectious pop, too, highlighted by the rhumba-beat groove of "Me and Your Ghost," a marvelous, soulful version of the Smokey Robinson classic "Being With You," and, maybe the biggest change of pace, the sighing ballad "Symphony." "The Stars Are Out" is not so much a change of direction as of emphasis, and it's a perfect expression of the signature sass and spirit of Borges and her Broken Singles. (Out now)

STUART MUNRO