Pop Reviews : Deep in the Heart of Scotland

Chrissie Hynde hasn’t relinquished her position at the pinnacle of the female rock vocal art, but Sharleen Spiteri, singer of the Scottish band Texas, appears ready to put some major heat on her. Unleashing a full, dusky voice informed by urgency and intelligence, Spiteri convinced the Roxy audience on Monday that her cries of longing and joy flowed straight from her soul.

Texas hasn’t regained the momentum it generated two years ago, with its debut album. The new follow-up, “Mothers Heaven,” has eliminated some of its predecessor’s rich atmosphere without introducing an equally intriguing songwriting style, so Spiteri must try to make her mark with some mature, artful--and kind of dull--pop in the vein of Bruce Hornsby and Cowboy Junkies.

Things were altogether more powerful at the Roxy, where the quintet retained the subtlety and emotional integrity of its blues- and country-inflected music while reveling in the pure joy of playing loud: One of the solos consisted entirely of Spiteri and Ally McErlaine strumming a syncopated chord pattern over and over on their guitars.

McErlaine not only ignited some jaw-dropping solos, but also executed jagged rhythm patterns, sharp fills and sympathetic chording. Spiteri is attraction enough for any band, but McErlaine proved a formidable complement.