Annie Crummer: Shine: The Best of

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

(Herald rating: * * * )

Can't help but raise an eyebrow at the liner notes' assertion that Crummer "invented a new sort of Polynesian soul-music" because she's always been a follower rather than an innovator. But as a wrap-up of one of New Zealand music's favourite daughters, this 17-tracker does the business.

It joins the dots 1981's Once or Twice, which sounds like she had her heart set on a Love Boat residency, then her scene-stealing turn on the Netherworld Dancing Toys' mid-80s For Today (pity the version here is the cheesy '96 update with irksome synthesized brass section). This includes two When The Cat's Away tracks — Melting Pot on which Crummer had the bad luck to get the line "yellow, yellow Chinkies" and Sharon O'Neill's Asian Paradise, which makes some sort of amends. In between various other excursions — including Shortland Street's "Katene Sisters", and their Keeping Up The Love Thing, Enzso's I Hope I Never — are the highlights of her two 90s solo albums.

New track, Love Not War is the stand-out, care of a gutsy vocal and production which wisely avoids the gloss which made some of her earlier recordings sound under-powered.

Crummer's road has had some potholes, but it sounds like it might be rolling again.

Label: Warner