(Badman)

    Any recording that can take its listeners out from where they are and directly into where they've always wanted to be is nothing short of a grand achievement. The Innocence Mission's Befriended is one of those albums. For nearly 15 years, the poetic tunesmiths of The Innocence Mission have captivated listeners with the luminescent vocals of one Karen Peris, whose intimacy of voice is like that of a warm embrace of a long absent friend or lover. Complimented exquisitely by guitarist-drummer-husband Don Peris and bassist Mike Bitts, it's no wonder that Joni Mitchell herself is a fan.

    Although not a single filler track exists, Befriended does have a few songs that stand out above the others. One is the jazzy, Nico-like number "When Mac Was Swimming", where Karen Peris shows off her incredibly moving string and piano work along with her phenomenal pipes. Then there's the romantic "Beautiful Change", where the threadbare percussion of Don Peris just seems to resonate. Incredibly starry-eyed and tender, it's rare among these songs that people can actually appreciate them alone just as much as with someone. On "Walking Around", TIM is as close as it will ever get to dance music. Radiant and sweet, it's moments of contentment that define this group and endear it so much to its fans.

    In short, Befriended is an album that reminds its listeners of those purely blissful moments they wished would never end. Now, with TIM's latest release, they get a chance to relive them over and over again.

DEAN RAMOS / VENUS