On this anthology of 18 tracks from Amy Rigby's three solo albums, the musical reach is almost as impressive as the lyrical precision. Like Loudon Wainwright III and Randy Newman (neither of whom she otherwise sounds like), Rigby writes heartbreakingly humorous material that is occasionally mistaken for novelty fare, as she refuses to romanticize romance yet isn't quite ready to relinquish all the illusions of love, youth, and rock & roll. A former member of the country-rocking Last Roundup and the poppier Shams, she combines resilience, poignancy, and a switchblade wit in musical settings that range from the Byrds-ian jangle of "All I Want" to the Brazilian lilt of "Keep It to Yourself" (one of the collection's two previously unreleased recordings) to the retro country of "Beer & Kisses" (a duet with John Wesley Harding) and "We're Stronger Than That" to the majestic melodiousness of "Time for Me to Come Down" and "The Summer of My Wasted Youth." On that last number, she sings of listening to Patsy Cline and Skeeter Davis after dropping LSD--the sort of experience that might inspire the pointedly skewed song craft found on this collection.