First, she was jazz. Then, she went pop.

But no matter what the song or style or interpretation, there's one adjective that consistently describes Holly Cole's evocative approach to the vocal arts: Understated.

That's not to say the singer skitters away from emotion. In fact, Cole admits she often dredges up pieces of personal trauma to color a tune.

Just don't expect the Canadian diva to open her mouth and pour out a stream of shot glass-shattering histrionics.

"You have to make sure you don't turn into Judy Garland," says Cole, who performs in London next Saturday. "Not to slag Judy Garland, because she's great. But I don't want to be a crying ball of mush on the ground; I want to be able to keep singing."

Cole is certainly still singing. And she's doing it in grand style. The Halifax-raised performer just finished a 10-week tour of Canada and the U.S., during which she received 36 consecutive standing ovations. Later this month, Cole starts the third leg of her American tour at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, winds through California and the American midwest and then wraps up with gigs in Boston, Washington, Philadelphia and New York City.

Cole is the subject of a glowing profile in this month's issue of Esquire magazine. And her latest album, Dark Dear Heart, is selling faster than any of her previous four albums, with more than 50,000 units sold in Canada since its release late last year.

But despite the hectic schedule, Cole says she loves the gruel;ing concert grind.

"Oh God, it's my lifeblood," she says from her Toronto home. "That's what it's about for me. It's not about making records -- I like making records, it's fun, it's a real interesting challenge. But it's not what I do this for. . . . I think most artists make albums and then they go, 'OK, well now we've got to tour.' But I'm like, `Let's make an album so we can go tour.'

"I'm not a road warrior like some people. Touring is hard on me. And I miss my dog, I miss Canada, I miss my house -- I long to come home and clean the lint thing out of the dryer. That, to me, is exotic now because I'm sick of road food and everything else.

"But all the live shows make the three days (straight travelling) with nine guys on the bus worthwhile."

Fans around the world are starting to sit up and notice Cole's worthy talents . After a recent club gig, the Dallas Morning News compared her to the late Ella Fitzgerald, noting "Ms. Cole can wow you with the range, phrasing and dexterity of her voice." Another Texan critic, this time from the Austin American-Statesman, wrote: "I'd pay to hear Cole sing classified ads, telephone listings or anything else that crossed her mind."

Cole has also wowed listeners in Japan. When she performed concerts there in October, fans reacted with an astonishing range of emotions.

"They do crazy Beatlemania stuff, where they scream in your face, really loud," says Cole. "And if they can find out where you are, they'll come and clamor at your hotel and they'll wave when they see you and they'll scream."

The reaction was almost reverent, however, when hundreds of fans gathered at a Tokyo record store for an autograph session. The crowd stayed about 10 metres away from Cole and her interviewer/translator and seemed glued to the floor when it came time to approach the singer for autographs.

EXOTIC BIRD

"They were all too scared (to approach)," she recalls. "It was the strangest feeling. It was like I was some sort of exotic bird in a cage that they were frightened of or intimidated by."

In person and conversation, Cole is charmingly blunt and funny. And though some listeners may have been challenged by her earlier versions of jazz classics, her latest album presents a more accessible selection of pop, including tunes by Lennon and McCartney (I've Just Seen a Face) and Joni Mitchell (River).

But Cole disputes the notion that she ever was a jazz artist to begin with.

"I'm heavily influenced by jazz, still am, always will be and was before," she says. "But it was never traditional. And only a portion of the song selections in the beginning were even jazz tunes. We always mixed jazz tunes with pop tunes.

"All the albums have been hybrids of musical styles, including this one. Now this one is certainly more influenced by popular music than the past ones, that's for sure. But it's still heavily influenced by jazz music and it's still a hybrid of different styles."

You might call it "peculiar pop." For instance, Cole gives the traditional lullaby, All the Pretty Little Horses, a hauntingly menacing twist. In Cole's husky voice, the song works against the gentle promise of its lyrics and turns them into a menacing warning of horrors sure to come.

"Sometimes in advance, I think, 'Oh, wouldn't this be interesting if it was turned around,' especially if it was a well-known song," she says. "Like the Beatles' song, for instance -- I wanted it to be a distinctly different interpretation lyrically and musically and in every way.

"I just tend to gravitate to that place, because it's a place that I find interesting. The darker side of music and life is very compelling. So I think it's a place that really attracts me, artistically."