Christina Perri

Christina Perri is absolutely fascinated by the dolor of her romantic life ”“ and thinks you should be, too. The Philly singer-songwriter ”“ who scored a smash with her single ”˜Jar of Hearts’ ”“ has recorded 11 songs full of plodding tempos and tolling piano chords and stuffed her lyric sheet with “poetry” (that heady compound word, “love-strong”) and other florid turns of phrase. Love-strong is sometimes insipid (“Like a soul mate/He’s your penguin”), sometimes bombastic (the power ballad ”˜The Lonely’) and often both (”˜Jar of Hearts’). Perri has a serviceable way with melodies, but she is stiflingly self-involved ”“ a depressive Colbie Caillat. As Perri herself might put it: She has “sometalent,” but writes “crapsongs.”

Key Tracks: ”˜Jar of Hearts,’ ”˜Penguin’