By: David Schultz

For Penny Arcade, her sophomore full-length release, Philadelphia singer-songwriter Emily “Birdie” Busch tightly follows the pattern laid out by Jenny Lewis on her critically beloved Rabbit Fur Coat. Both albums sustain themselves on a steady diet of sweetly arranged songs replete with expressive lyrics that seem lifted from a bedside journal and sung with voices whose innocent quality belies the wisdom lying underneath. Busch even mimics Lewis’ modus operandi of shrewdly covering a classic rock nugget, turning Steve Miller’s “Wild Mountain Honey,” into a trippy, sultry come-on.

For the most part there is a demure simplicity to Busch’s lyrics and music, though both take turns when they get surprisingly complex. “Hold Ya” trades in acoustics for a raw rock guitar sound and “Mystical” moves along with a catchy though restrained foot stomping beat. As a songwriter, Busch has a talent for succinctly telling a nice tale: whether she’s eulogizing a singing group in “Huff Singers (North Philly);” painting a picture of a dysfunctional family in “Water” or turning an artist’s repertoire into a metaphor for emotional baggage in “Back Catalogue.” The cutesy act can wear thin, the saccharine “Go Go Gadget Heart” being the album’s one cringe-inducing moment.

Jenny Lewis found an audience with her solo debut and although, small pun intended, Birdie Busch’s voice is a little chirpier than the Rilo Kiley singer’s, those who ate up Rabbit Fur Coat will find lots to enjoy on Penny Arcade.