RAUL MALO "You're Only Lonely" Sanctuary ALICE PEACOCK "Who I Am" Peacock/Universal

BACK IN THE MID-'90s, when the Mavericks were scoring country music hits, the group's lead singer, Raul Malo, eagerly shared with interviewers his enthusiasm for big-voiced pop singers such as Roy Orbison, the Righteous Brothers and Frank Sinatra. There was always a bit of that sound in the Mavericks' records, especially on 1998's "Trampoline," but one longed to hear Malo crank open the faucets and pour his huge baritone and unabashed romanticism into an album of string-swathed ballad standards.

That's just what he has done on his new disc, "You're Only Lonely." He has found the perfect partners in Peter Asher, the producer best known for his work with James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt, and David Campbell, the string arranger best known for being Beck's father. The repertoire is eclectic, including Lonnie Johnson's old blues song "Tomorrow Night" and Wayne Newton's lounge number "Games That Lovers Play," early rock classics such as Etta James's "At Last" and the Everly Brothers' "So Sad," and more recent songs by Ron Sexsmith and the Bee Gees.

Randy Newman's "Feels Like Home," previously recorded by Ronstadt, is done twice: once as a solo and again as a duet with Martina McBride. Malo's slow, emotive approach reveals the link between J.D. Souther's title track and Orbison's "Only the Lonely." If you liked Asher's records with Taylor and Ronstadt, you'll like his work with Malo, who has a larger voice than either of the producer's earlier clients.

Alice Peacock also goes for a vintage-pop, string-cushioned sound on her new album, "Who I Am." Balancing her singer-songwriter background and her new, lusher sound is producer-arranger Andrew Williams, the son of Andy Williams and a producer for Peter Case and the Old 97's. Peacock has always written catchy melodies, and her soprano grabs hold of them with enthusiasm. Her voice lacks the grandeur of Malo's, though, and is pinched in the higher register. Moreover, her lyrics undermine the project; they're too introspective for universal pop and too bland for good confessional songwriting.

-- Geoffrey Himes

Appearing Monday at the Birchmere.

Listen to an audio clip of Raul Malo

Listen to an audio clip of Alice Peacock