Erin McCarley

Sara Bareilles better watch her back, because another soulfully sunny singer-songwriter with a plaintive yet take-no-prisoners voice has come to town. That might be an awfully specific comparison, but the similarities between newcomer McCarley and last year's adult alt darling are pretty uncanny ("Pony" is a dead ringer for "Love Song," minus a bit of the fire). Which is not to say McCarley has nothing new to offer: She leans a little more toward the whimsical than Bareilles, and she makes quirky-cute compelling (see the retro-vibing "Blue Suitcase" and "Sticky-Sweet," which is neither).