Carly Simon used to be dangerous. Remember? She had to her credit a lethal attack on marriage ("That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be") and one of the most quotable put-down songs ever ("You're So Vain"). Those were the days.

But she threw it all away. After having scored a direct hit on the institution of holy matrimony, she had the gall to go and get hitched! Shocking. For whatever reason, her music consequently lost much of that restless and abrasive (some said obnoxious) quality so crucial to its personality. Indeed, so important had that edge been that, without it, her albums' statements were made by the silly covers rather than the contents….

Simon's failure to keep up her credibility can be tied directly to the fact that she lacked the massive egotism and exhibitionistic tendencies that make Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and even hubby James Taylor such genuinely fascinating public displays. Unlike them, she always seemed concerned with more superficial things than the state of her eternal soul, as if she didn't consider herself sufficient subject matter. And lacking unusual circumstances, she generally offered self-effacing radio fare, hardly as exciting as inner torment.

Boys in the Trees is full of little psychological clues from the reticent Ms. Simon that mean great fun for the amateur shrink but trying listening for anyone else. A trio of bland songs with domestic references casts a pall over the rest of the album….

At the other extreme, three undeniable winners are tucked away on side two. Here Simon temporarily loses her self-conscious reserve and risks abandoning her safe stance. As a result, both "You're the One" … and "For Old Times' Sake" … have an emotional honesty she elsewhere declines to attempt. It's frustrating she doesn't do this sort of thing more often, yet nice to know she's still got the knack. But her greatest triumph is the gemlike "In a Small Moment." Freed from the spotlight by a third-person perspective, Carly examines the germ of corruption…. It's a "small" song, but its perceptive resonance is wide and deep. Perfect.

Occupying the middle ground are three bittersweet, pressed-flower tunes with wistful lyrics that allude to experience without getting too close. Curiously, the intended throwaways are much more memorable, being irritating and unappealing….

Why Carly Simon won't make a greater commitment to her own records is beyond the domain of a humble review, but an understanding of that insecurity would no doubt explain why this album is so hollow…. Boys in the Trees is plenty of pleasantries with a tantalizing dash of substance.