Pop Music Reviews : Classy, Sad Songs From J. D. Souther, Karla Bonoff

J.D. Souther, Karla Bonoff and an efficient desalination process probably could alter the ecological future of Southern California. Harness the tear-jerking potential of these two quintessential exponents of mellow, ‘70s-vintage L.A. songwriting, and the region would be drought-proof.

Playing separate, hourlong solo sets Wednesday night at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, then harmonizing together in a three-song encore, Souther and Bonoff gave saturation treatment to the theme of how woeful it is to be acutely sensitive and in love with the wrong person. There’s nothing wrong with evoking a sniffle and a tear from time to time, and between them, Souther and Bonoff are responsible for writing or co-authoring some of the classier songs in the genre: among them Souther’s “Faithless Love,” “Best of My Love” and “Prisoner in Disguise,” and Bonoff’s “Lose Again” and “Someone to Lay Down Beside Me.”

Those songs and others like them were presented lovingly to a capacity house that received them like jewels. But aside from a few departures--notably bits of humorous country and forthright folk-rock from Souther--plaintive melancholy was the evening’s too-pervasive tone.

To both singers’ credit, their fervent heartbreak never came off sounding smarmy or phony. Souther and Bonoff also displayed engaging, wry and sometimes self-deprecating senses of humor between songs--which helped offset the music’s lack of same. Bonoff was in fine, pure voice in a set that included two songs that will appear in July on her first album in six years. Souther, though, couldn’t shake loose the gravel in his voice. It made for some creaky moments as he gamely attempted all manner of tricky quavers and falsettos, but the feeling was usually right.