kicked around Nashville for almost a decade before she gained a hearing on Music Row, which says more about the goals of the music establishment in the 1990s than it does about her. is a heartthrob singer in the tradition of and , which is not what Nashville was looking for in the crossover days of the '90s, and not even what much of Nashville has been looking for in the crossover days of the '00s. But producer has been bucking that trend with , among others, and he finally gave her chance with the May 2000 single understood that 's strength was , and though wasn't a hit, it displayed her talent well. Her debut album seems to have been delayed several times, until a second single, released in October 2000, got some traction. It fulfills the promise of those songs by sticking mostly with , on which emotes most effectively. It's not that she can't handle up-tempo material such as and her own co-composition it's that she isn't able to put as personal a stamp on those songs, which sound like they could be by any competent female vocalist. But when she gets hold of a slow one with a bitterly romantic edge like she reminds you of generations of great women. may be too for radio (it always feels funny to say that), but it should attract fans of dyed-in-the-wool who have been waiting for an artist not so concerned with crossing over to the charts. ~ William Ruhlmann