Carina Round Confesses With Glen Ballard

British singer-songwriter Carina Round doesn't pull any punches. For her third album, 'Slow Motion Addict,' due June 5, Round teamed with producer Glen Ballard (Alanis Morissette) for a markedly defiant collection that finds her doing what she does best, even better: banshee yelps turned lung-scraping howls, lyrical collisions between the cosmic and carnal, and sonic tromps through rock straight to the throes of punk and electronica.

"It was difficult for me because it's the first time I've really worked with a name producer," Round says of working with Ballard. "We come from polar opposite planets, and although there were a few face-offs, which are to be expected, we met in a really good place. He made me feel very comfortable about the way I use my voice and certainly encouraged me to use it in as many strange ways as possible, which is great for me because I can become different cartoon characters with each new song."

It's a formula that's garnered fans in former Eurythmic Dave Stewart (who signed Round to his own Weapons of Mass Entertainment label), former tourmate Ryan Adams and even Jack Nicholson -- not to mention a common comparison to a certain other female British rocker. "As much as the PJ Harvey references make me want to stab myself in the face, she's great," Round says. "Rather her than Dido."

But for the Wolverhampton-born singer, 'Addict,' just like any other, is about growth. Even if it's slow-moving. "I decide that I wanted to make some changes and leave behind certain things that I wasn't comfortable with: people, ideas, restrictions that I put on myself and expectations that I put on other people, or that they put on me," she says of the album's impetus. "There were periods of dealing in many different ways . . . complete self-annihilation, excess and just generally being horrible. When you decide to come through all that, that's when your garden grows."

Listen to 'Come To You (Acoustic)'

Listen to 'Stolen Car (Acoustic)'

Listen to 'Downslow (Acoustic)'