Allison Moorer is a country singer of classic gifts: range, power, phrasing and an easy, effortless swing, all calmly drawn from a half-hidden well of sadness. The result is a voice that wraps around your heart – classic, but not retro, because Shelby Lynne's younger sister is a thoroughly modern woman. Witness "A Soft Place to Fall," her tough and tender single from the soundtrack to The Horse Whisperer (reprised here), and the nine other songs Moorer co-wrote for her debut. Both the spurned woman of "Pardon Me" and her sassy counterpart in "Set You Free" seek constantly to reconcile the gap between what they value and the day's facts. Even so, the best moment goes to death; the closing eulogy, "Is Heaven Good Enough for You," is spectacular, full of that rare, elegant intimacy that was once the cornerstone of country music. (RS 795)

GRANT ALDEN