Earthier than Orton, poppier than Jones and saner than Apple, Rachael Yamagata has joined the ranks of the wistful singer/songwriters. Breaking from a boyfriend and Chicago's funk outfit Bumpus, Yamagata's full-length debut, Happenstance, dishes out striking ballads replete with contagious piano melodies and raspy-as-you-like-it vocals. If the hooks in "Be Be Your Love," "Letter Read," or the velvety "I'll Find A Way" don't snag you, then surely the unabashed charm of EP carry-over "Worn Me Down" will. Yamagata delivers this smart batch of songs with a steady hand: Happenstance conveys a maturity that defies the singer's age and her back catalog, suggesting that interesting work lies ahead.