Etheridge’s Signature Fury Yields to Musical Restraint

Etheridge once sang with reckless fury, fueled by raging tales of obsession, jealousy and commitment as she reached desperately for the raw confession of Janis Joplin and the straight-ahead immediacy of Bruce Springsteen. It was music that also quickly fell into uninspired overkill, where feeling was replaced by volume.

“Breakdown” (due in stores Tuesday) at least offers some relief from all that shouting, even if the Los Angeles-based rocker leans too heavily on mainstream balladry. Her lyrics remain torrid, confessional and accusatory, tapping into the emotional energy of her earliest recordings on “Stronger Than Me.” These are predicable sentiments from Etheridge by now, but they’re delivered with welcome restraint.

There are also moments of musical subtlety here, owing much to the rich production of Etheridge and guitarist John Shanks. Moody, psychedelic flourishes bathe “Scarecrow,” an angry examination of the murder of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man in Wyoming. And Etheridge’s mournful rasp is accompanied on the folky torch song “My Lover” with barely more than her acoustic guitar and soft waves of keyboard.

She crafts yet another anthem of self-worth and individuality in “Mama I’m Strange,” where she warns, “I’m descending pretending I’m blending/I’m going insane.” It’s a safe message, with the words set against music lacking in any kind of special energy. Like the rest of the album, it’s sophisticated and unsurprising.

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* Excerpts from Melissa Etheridge’s “Breakdown” and other recent releases are available on The Times’ World Wide Web site. Point your browser to: https://www.latimes.com/soundclips