Mekka
This 12-track effort from the young woman we named the best singer-songwriter in the Bay area this year more than delivers on the potential showcased by her usually less-orchestrated live sets, which often find her performing solo. Plenty of the tunes on Can't Make You Happy consist solely of Geri X's intimate acoustic guitar and expressive voice — and she doesn't need more to shine — but more fleshed-out songs like "Sinister," "Drowning is Romantic" and "Leapfrog" are particular highlights, if only because they put her yearning, deceptively straightforward style in a new context. Everything here is beautifully wrought and emotionally compelling without ever getting sappy or resorting to clichés. Unbelievable stuff. 4.5 stars
This article appears in Dec 13-19, 2006.