What Ever Happened To...Joan Osborne

If God was one of us, He/she would no doubt be scratching his/her head in bewilderment at the continuing absence of a new Joan Osborne album. It's been five years since the corkscrew-haired singer wowed the world with her debut CD, Relish. Manager David Sonenberg — who denies rumors that Mercury has nixed previous versions of the album — admits the singer has done quite a bit of recording (with among others, roots band Cracker's frontman, David Lowery): ''She's in the studio with [producer] Mitchell Froom [Bonnie Raitt, Los Lobos] and they're hoping to be finished with the record by the end of February'' for an intended summer release. ''She wants to take her time,'' says Sonenberg, ''and make sure she comes back with a great record.'' Here's to resurrections.