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WEDNESDAY

It’s been said that Sweet Heart Fever, the first album from Nottingham, England’s Emma “Scout” Niblett, sounds a lot like the music of sometime tourmate Cat Power. One might wager that the affirmative title of Niblett’s sophomore full-length, I Am, is in part a declaration of self: That’ll stick it to those folks who lump all female singer-songwriter-single-instrumentalists together. Sorry, sister, but a better title might have been I Am (Channeling Chan Marshall). Produced by Steve Albini and outfitted mainly with the Niblett herself on skins, guitar, and uke (though rarely at once), the album does have some cool moments, such as the simple beat and guitar riff of “12 Miles” and the band-camp drum lesson of “Your Beat Kicks Back Like Death.” Unfortunately, such sparks are usually tamped by lazy lyrics (“It was fun being a baby”) that are often repeated so many times that Niblett begins to sound like a 2-year-old fascinated by her own voice. Niblett plays with Anousheh Khalili at 8 p.m. at the Velvet Lounge, 915 U St. NW. $7. (202) 462-3213. (Anne Marson)