Poseidon and the Bitter Bug Indigo Girls (CD)

In the first 13 albums of their career, the two members of Indigo Girls played contrasting roles. Brunette Amy Ray would sing and write angry rock, while wispy blonde Amy Saliers would stick to soft, insightful love songs.

But in Poseidon and the Bitter Bug, their second independently produced album, the southern belles mix it up to produce their freshest and most accessible music since 1987's Strange Fire. The double-album deluxe set comes with one disc of studio recordings, and another full of unplugged versions.

Poseidon was written during a time when the duo had to deal with philosophical questions that come with age: 'Why is everyone breaking up? Why is George W. Bush president? Why are we at war with Iraq? What have I done with my life?'

The result is an album full of provocatively simple melodies which mask the gravity of the issues about which they sing, such as minority rights and recovering from heartbreak. Highlights include Saliers' ballad I'll Change, Ray's True Romantic, and the catchy, pop-like Sugar Tongue and Driver Education.

The Indigo Girls began as an acoustic duo, so for purists who have followed the pair's career since the 1980s, Poseidon feels as if they have come full circle.