Sophie B*witching.

After a five-year absence, Hawkins returns with an ambitious, resonant new record

It's been five years since self-proclaimed omnisexual Sophie B. Hawkins dominated pop radio with the sleeper hit "As I Lay Me Down.' But while long intermissions are often the kiss of death in the music biz, her new record, Timbre, resists being easily dismissed. Indeed, this brilliant, dark, and raw collection of exotic pop songs mines the same catchy vein as her previous two albums without losing the thrill of experimentation.

And the long delay apparently wasn't her fault, since the record was basically completed three years ago. The story she's sticking to is that her desire to boldly go where she hadn't gone before -- a challenge her fans expect her to take -- irked label bigwigs and led them to keep pushing the album back. In particular, a pesky banjo line she placed in the first single, "Lose Your Way,' was considered a Top 40 radio no-no. There were also suggestions that Hawkins undergo a Sheryl Crow-type makeover to sell her to "modem rock" audiences. But Hawkins, who painstakingly wrote, performed, and (for the first time) produced Timbre in a home studio, steadfastly clung to her vision and her relaxed look, refused to lose the banjo, and became embroiled in a battle for artistic freedom. She eventually won, she says, with the help of an Internet campaign spearheaded by fans.

And, boy, was it worth the wait. Listening to Timbre is like reading the artist's private journal -- if only the written word could move you to tap your feet and sing along. Intimacy resonates through the atmospheric and layered arrangements, the bleeding-heart, image-laden lyrics, and the syncopated and ambitious rhythms.

The album opens strongly with "Strange Thing," the first in a long line of songs in which her husky vocals call for "a place for my heart to belong" and someone else who doesn't mind living there. That song and the more sweeping tale of rejection conveyed in "No Connection," which utilizes perfectly placed pauses and dramatic exhales, are destined to be follow-up singles to the controversial "Lose Your Way" -- itself a devotional ditty that's soft as a lullaby, with Woody Guthrie-style accompaniment.

The song "32 Lines" captures the desperation of Hawkins's first hit, "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover," with every scream of the chorus. As usual, most of the lyrics seem directed at women who have caught Hawkins's eye or touched her thoughts -- although the sensual context is more broad-reaching than gender-specific.

The album does have a few weak moments. "The Darkest Childe' is a spoken word piece complete with awkward tribal chants, a technique better handled by Laurie Anderson. And "Mmm My Best Friend" is sweet in intention but a tad cheesy in delivery.

Hawkins more successfully dabbles with jazz piano and sultry supper-club vocals on "Bare the Weight of Me," tropical marimba on "Strange Thing" and "Nocturne,' penetrating cello on "I Walk Alone," and slow-building rock climaxes on "The One You Have Not Seen' and "Your Tongue Like the Sun in My Mouth."

Because every listen draws you further into her romantic and melodic web, the singer-songwriter will undoubtedly experience the same accolades and sales she did with her previous two gold albums. One hopes that will prove to Columbia honchos that Hawkins has the best grasp of what her fans expect, so she won't stay away quite so long next time.

Diary of a pop star

Where has Sophie B, Hawkins been for the past five years? Having a life, thank you very much. While Hawkins declined to speak to The Advocate, outtakes from another recent interview provide glimpses of the woman behind Timbre. -- C.B.

On celebrity versus real life:

"I can't get into the fame thing, I can't be that guy, I just sit back in my house and try to live a normal life, I like to skateboard and play with my dogs and cats,"

On her other creative pursuits:

"I can never settle on one creative area. I love music and challenge myself by constantly learning new instruments. I have a passion for real acting. Dancing is invigorating; I used to do African dance every morning. And I'm writing a novel now. I would rather leave my mark as a great writer, in terms of songs and prose, than anything else."

On her first film role:

"Beyond City Limits [which so far has no major distributor] is my first totally fiction film, Acting jobs keep popping up, and it's a real thorn in my side, I refuse to get an agent...."

On Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover":

"I really have to give the label credit here. I was obviously singing to a woman, which I think is supersexy, and they went ahead and supported it at mainstream radio, It is a very emotional and true song. I owe my career to people digging that tune, And because no one fought against it, I was able to go on singing to whoever I wanted to."

Bell is a staff writer at Billboard.

For more on Sophie B. Hawkins and links to related Internet sites, go to www.advocate.com