Amy Ray's 'Lung of Love'

"I've got a little Joe Strummer in my DNA," Amy Ray sings about midway through her new LP, "Lung of Love." 

While some would be surprised to see the Indigo Girl drawing a comparison between herself and the Clash leader, the line makes sense in the context of the this very, very good album, where Ray shows the same boundless musical curiosity that Strummer exhibited, particularly in his post-Clash work with the Mescaleros.

Ray, who will be hitting the Saint on Main Street in Asbury Park Friday night, has made something special with "Lung of Love," released Feb. 28 on her own Daemon Records imprint.

My knowledge of Ray's full-time band basically ends with their ubiquitous radio hit "Closer to Fine," so I'm not the right person to say how big of a departure this album is from her Indigo Girls work, but it's a solid record regardless.

Most importantly, Ray always keeps the proceedings exciting for the listener: 10 solid songs that clock in at a hair over half an hour, with plenty of stylistic variety and skill to spare: there's the crunchy power pop of "Glow," the heartbreak balladry of "I Didn't," the aforementioned Clash grooves of "Little Revolution" and the mandolin-fueled bluegrass of "The Rock is My Foundation."

But the stylistic switch-ups never feel gimmicky: Ray sounds like she's giving each of these tunes her all, and is using the opportunity of this solo album to show how deep her skills as a singer, songwriter and musician really run.

Ray and her band, with special guest Kaia Wilson, will be at the Saint, 601 Main St., Asbury Park, on Friday, April 20. Doors are at 8 p.m., tickets are $15.