Jo Dee Messina: Delicious Surprise : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

The challenge for many mainstream country artists? Coming across as a rebel shit-stirrer even as you play by a strict set of musical and career rules -- rules that constrain Nashville divas more tightly than anyone else. Bouncing back from a painful breakup -- as well as her record company's shelving of her fourth album in favor of a 2003 hits collection -- Jo Dee Messina delivers a can't-fail reconfiguration of that lost disc. Recalling Shania Twain at her feistiest, the lead single, "My Give a Damn's Busted," zaps guys in their most vulnerable place -- the one that requires that women care about guys' problems. The Massachusetts-born, Nashville-based singer proves she cares plenty after all on rockers and ballads that exude positive thinking and post-relationship remorse. Unfortunately, her studio-scrubbed packaging often undermines her exuberant sincerity, particularly on "I Believe It," which glibly recycles large chunks of "Sweet Home Alabama" for no apparent reason beyond ensuring another smash. With a few exceptions, Delicious Surprise tastes as predictable as lunch at Arby's.