On her second album as a singer-songwriter, Minnie Driver proves that her debut, EVERYTHING I'VE GOT IN MY POCKET, was no fluke. SEASTORIES is in fact even better than her first album, with a more relaxed-sounding Driver expanding both the sonic landscape of her music and the expressive range of her vocals. Highlights include the shimmering "Beloved," the R&B grooves of "Cold Dark River," and the poppy "Sorry Baby." Guest stars including Liz Phair and Ryan Adams (whose band the Cardinals perform as Driver's backing band for a third of the album's 12 songs) don't overshadow her increasing self-assurance as both a singer and a songwriter.