STYLE: Lady slings the booze.

SUBSTANCE: "Think Tom Waits and Rickie Lee Jones have a monopoly on bluesy boho-jazz balladry? Think again. Ex-Winnipegger Jennifer Hanson gets in on the action with her sophomore set How the Night People Pray. Teaming with songwriter Graham Shaw and tastefully backed by a rotating cast of local VIPs from Ron Paley to Spider Sinnaeve, the breezy-voiced Atlantan lets her hair down on a winning slate of drunkard’s waltzes and last-call laments.

STANDOUTS: Beautiful as Hanson’s voice is, Shaw’s magnificently memorable songcraft comes close to stealing the show. Each of these 10 cuts is such an exquisite little gem it’s tough not to think his name should be on the cover next to hers — or better still, on another solo album of his own."

— Darryl Sterdan, Winnipeg Sun