POP MUSIC REVIEWS : Armatrading’s Range and Masterful Poise Combine in Triumph

SANTA ANA â€”  Young, brash upstarts like Alanis Morissette and Courtney Love have been in the pop spotlight this year, but as 45-year-old Joan Armatrading demonstrated with aplomb Saturday night at the sold-out Galaxy Concert Theatre, a relaxed, warm and inviting demeanor can be more inspiring than a defiant, intimidating pose.

Loaded with a 20-year arsenal of material as richly rewarding as her distinctive, full-bodied contralto, Armatrading delivered a nearly two-hour set of rock, reggae, folk music and soul-tinged blues that was masterful both in conception and performance.

The singer-songwriter, a West Indian native whose work always has been revelatory and confessional, led listeners on a sweeping musical and personal odyssey, perfectly bookended by the upbeat opening of the catchy “I’m Lucky� and her sing-along encore, the serene, hymn-like “Willow.�

Unveiled and tucked strategically between these gems was an often heart-wrenching trail of tears, littered with unrequited love and conflicting emotions most eloquently expressed during an anguished reading of “The Weakness in Me.� Ripe with vulnerability, Armatrading seemed to reach down deep within herself before crying out:

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Why do you call me when you know I can’t answer the phone?

You make me stay when I should not.

Are you that strong,

Or is it just the weakness in me?

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After opening with a solid seven-piece band, she scaled the instrumentation down to cello, violin, piano and her own acoustic guitar for her newer songs, from the strong collection “What’s Inside.� Unlike the recorded versions--which feature the weighty support of the Kronos Quartet, the Memphis Horns and other high-profile guests--these relatively minimalistic renditions laid bare each song’s emotional core.

Particularly outstanding were “Shapes and Sizes,� with a contagious melody that carries home the message of showing your love before it’s too late; the lovely “Trouble,� a heartwarming salute to Armatrading’s mother, and the jazzy, poignant “In Your Eyes,� which Armatrading sung in a near-whisper as Natalio Faingold’s acoustic piano added a sensual, heated glow. Cellist Laura Fairhurst and violinist Prabjote Osahn embellished numbers with their own subtle yet key touches of color and personality.

The band returned for the fast-paced “Drop the Pilot,� kick-starting an electrified, high-volume finale that revealed, albeit sparingly, Armatrading’s underrated skills as a lead guitarist.

Iowa-raised, Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Susan Werner played a well-received solo acoustic set filled with timely humor and seemingly honest emotion. Her finely drawn chronicles of romantic heartbreak peaked with her sagas of missed opportunity (“St. Mary’s of Regret�) and hope and perseverance (“No One Here but Me�).