Glasgow native Eddi Reader returns for her fourth solo album of ingratiating, smart songs, most of them seeking answers about what we"re supposed to make of this big, ol" sweet mess of a world. Acoustic and folk-based, Simple Soul gleans much of its power from its stripped-down production, which allows for the up-close immediacy of Reader"s quiet, earnest vocals, which are at times reminiscent of Maria Muldaur ("Wolves") and Edie Brickell ("Adam"). Alternately meditative ("Simple Soul"), reflective ("Lucky Penny"), and restless ("The Wanting Kind"), Reader especially shines on "I Felt a Soul Move Through Me," about the death of her father, one of several songs she co-wrote with Boo Hewerdine. But she"s impressive as an interpreter, too, proving unforgettable on "Footsteps Fall," which correctly declares, "The loneliest sound of all / Is the sound of love / Through a stranger"s wall." Somehow, she manages to make all this sadness uplifting, as a testament to the resiliency of the soul, and to the power of music. Soothing salve, indeed. --Alanna Nash