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   Elaine Summers gives "retro" a whole new meaning. She opens her latest album, Sparkler, with rough rocker "Fade Away." Her refined voice contrasts with the banging-on-trash-cans production sound and old-style/punk guitar work.
   The sound also works well for country/blues number, "Love Could Be Gone," but this is clearly not her genre of choice this time around. Following this is "Dream Song," a driving, radio-quality number heavy on the percussion, shakers, bells, and synthesizer tracks.
   Vocally she resembles Vonda Shepard, but her style is more Alison Pipitone - raw, full, and with the energy and experimentation of a live show. The melody lines and lyrics are simple but the instrumentation and sampling provide a fun, complex listening experience.
   The interesting sound of suitcase as a rhythm instrument begins "Come Around," another up-tempo rock song. Her vocals are muted and distorted to match the guitar sound.
   The final tune, "No Good Anymore," is accented by vocal sampling and rich, organic percussion. Elaine also plays a mean, retro-sounding "fuzz bass," and there are strains of the sitar towards the end. This album is for fans of intelligent garage rock with a bit of an electronic kick and Elaine's smooth, powerful voice. For more information, see www.elainesummers.com