BY JIM LAAKSO

here's a long pop tradition of placing the Big Hit Single as track one on the debut album. "Heartbreak Hotel," "Loser," and "Shine" are three that have fit the bill, and there are thousands more. So, the million-dollar question: does the Big Hit Single exist as an artistic/commerical anomaly (as in Beck's case), or does it serve as a template for everything that follows (Collective Soul)? Or: is this a musician capable of stretching and growing, or is this a corporate hack?

Which brings us to "My Friends," a song that is both the opener on Michal's (Towber), CC '05, debut, Sky With Stars, and a stab at commercial viability. Gratingly upbeat, it's a hybrid of "Faith" and "Walkin' On Sunshine." Lurking beneath the jangle and the slick keyboards, however, is an uneasiness that nearly gets lost in the song's radio bounce— "They'll catch you in the end/And you'd better run like hell." Big sigh of relief all around, because it's this often-intriguing paranoia, not the glossy pop overtones, that ends up characterizing much of Michal's songwriting.

But when the production tries to do too much—as with the electro-beats of "The Light" or the big, Wallflower-eqsue guitar pop of "Broken Boy"—Michal's voice gets buried and the songs get pummeled into bland modern rock. Which is a shame, as the vocals are the strongest aspect of Sky With Stars. Her ability to move from a coo ("The Light") to a roar ("Juliet's Refrain") is wasted when smothered under unnecessary sonic effects.

Thankfully, the album's second half retreats from the crunch of the first five tracks, and on these mostly acoustic songs her vocal and songwriting talents come to the fore. The sparse piano and strings combo of "The Best Way" places the focus on the creepy vocals, which intone in an innocent voice, "I know the best way to kill the ones you love." Likewise, "Bliss" delivers more intense emotion with a lone acoustic guitar than do any of the album's electric tracks.

Ultimately, the radio-friendly "My Friends" is disowned as Michal sings of her willingness to "kill all my best friends." Score one for Sky With Stars; it is clear that she is willing—and able—to explore different sounds and musical ideas. Now, with two years passed and another album on the way, let's hope that Michal is able to leave behind the commercial production values that constrict the first half of Sky With Stars and build on the success of the second half. As these songs show, in order to keep Michal as the focus, less is always more. Res ipsa loquitur. (RPM)