POP MUSIC REVIEWS : Kittenish Colvin Concert

Shawn Colvin is thirtysome-thing going on 16. Since 1989, when the kittenish folk-singer’s debut album was released, Colvin has grown progressively more girlish on stage. At the Wadsworth Theater on Tuesday, she played the coquette to the hilt--giggling, tossing her newly blond bangs, and generally flirting disarmingly well with the receptive audience.

This gradual metamorphosis has suited her music just fine. At her most robust, as on the meaty, bass-heavy “Tennessee,” Colvin showed that she can folk-rock with the best of ‘em. But on the slower, quieter numbers, the sophomoric nature of her lyrics was spotlighted. Studiedly obscure turns of phrase resting on images of rainbows and prairies and lots and lots of tears might have come from a high school junior who’s just heard her first Joni Mitchell album.

Colvin’s music and performance were certainly not without charm. She sang with dexterity, purring one moment and barking the next, always for maximum effect. And her pleasantly serene tunes wrapped themselves resiliently around the lyrics, buoying the words when they floundered. If Colvin stops getting younger with every tour, she might just mature into a formidable talent.