POP MUSIC REVIEW : Compelling Set by Canadian Songwriter Sarah McLachlan

Sarah McLachlan had better get used to the Sinead O’Connor comparisons.

We’re not talking appearance here--the Canadian singer-songwriter has ample, shoulder-length hair. The links with her shaved-headed Irish counterpart are her vocal command and her songs about relationships and self-doubt.

In her Los Angeles debut on Wednesday at the Variety, however, McLachlan exhibited little of O’Connor’s dramatic, sometimes manic manner. Instead, the young artist, whose “Solace” album is a hit on college/alternative radio, had a serene persona, using little more than rhythmic hand motions to visually accent her songs.

Though McLachlan was backed by a five-piece band, the evening’s keys were her solo rendition of the melancholy “Ben’s Song” and a chilling version of the Billie Holiday classic “Gloomy Sunday.”

McLachlan’s songwriting is promising but needs more individuality. Her strength--and it’s a compelling one--is in her vocal stylings, which were often punctuated by a dramatic falsetto. At her best, she demonstrated both outstanding technique--the ability to shift from tender to vigorous moods with remarkable quickness and ease--and emotional depth.