Phoebe Snow is not yet a mature artist. Though the makings are nowhere more evident than on her third album, she still hasn't been able to concentrate fully enough on the use of her voice as an instrument, or the development of a persona through which to sing. She also must either study songwriting or devote more energy to interpretation.

Given that, It Looks like Snow shapes up as Snow's most impressive set. "Autobiography (Shine, Shine, Shine)" and "Shakey Ground" have no doubt been formulated by producer David Rubinson to bring Snow into an R&B-flavored pop mainstream. Hopefully, however, those two songs will not obscure her three brilliant performances.

On "Teach Me Tonight," "In My Girlish Days" and "Mercy on Those," Snow has, for the first time, controlled her vocal power in classic fashion. It's not a question of volume, but rather of building intensity and allowing the song its own climax. Thus, the simple "Mercy on Those" takes on grand emotional depth, and the cleverly suggestive posing of "Teach Me Tonight" comes off as casually erotic.

Snow lacks consistency most specifically because the majority of her songs don't have the melodic or lyrical depth to challenge her. But if she continues to develop as a technician and writer, she may well become the artist hinted at here. (RS 230)

IRA MAYER