On her third release, Canadian singer songwriter Catherine MacLellan’s mood seems to have lightened with the addition of a bigger band of veterans (Kyle Cunjak, upright bass; Rich Knox, drums; Nick Cobham, electric and nylon string guitars; James Phillips, mandolin), delivering a fuller, more rootsy sound. There’s the upbeat “Take a Break,” the toe-tapping title track, the bluesy “Hotel Stairs,” and “Not Much to Do,” set off by Cunjak’s plucked bass lines and Cobham’s country swing guitar solos. But longtime fans need not fear that MacLellan has abandoned the emotional depth of her more somber, earlier work (the CD also includes a reissue of her first album, Dark Dream Midnight). “Everything’ll Be Alright,” “Sorrows Drown,” “Isabel’s Song,” and the gorgeous “Again from the Start”—with Justin Rutledge’s banjo, Brian Kobayakawa’s upright bass, and MacLellan’s acoustic guitar lending complexity and depth—are just a few of the beauties here. MacLellan’s strength has been her crystalline voice, but there’s a growing appreciation of melody in these originals. While at first Water in the Ground might seem to lack a little bite, these sweet, unassuming songs refresh like a cold drink on a sweltering day. (True North Records, truenorthrecords.com)