*** LINDA PERRY “In Flight” Interscope

While 4 Non Blondes reimagined the ‘70s through a kaleidoscope of Zeppelin-esque guitars, Linda Perry turns away from the Blondes’ chart-topping hard-rock brew for her solo debut. Supported by the Tuesday Night Music Club (in a striking departure from its snappy pop-blues on Sheryl Crow’s debut), Perry turns introspective and opts for trippy folk.

Producer Bill Bottrell allows her long and winding songs to veer into a psychedelic feeling heavily influenced by Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” but he takes his cues from laid-back acoustic guitar. He achieves a languorous, classic sound that rarely feels complacent, thanks to Perry’s lyrical soul-searching. Perry recruits some other iconoclastic characters for support: Lisa Germano brings her midnight-moody violin work; Grace Slick turns up in an unconventional and thrilling love duet.

The singer occasionally missteps, but as she switches from campfire-casual crooning to her best blues howl, she infuses such songs as “Uninvited” and “Fill Me Up” with a feeling of imprisonment that is packed with pathos. Freedom is both Perry’s goal and her impossible dream--her passion for it fuels this frequently powerful effort.

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