0014431045820. New condition. CD. ThIs effort from country singer Kelly Willis has a number of important things going for it. First of all there s her voice which is an almost archetypally perfect blend of sweetness and grit. Then there are her backing musicians -- in particular guitarist Mark Spencer who makes a recognizably country sound without overdoing it or descending into bathos and stereotype. Last and very importantly there s producer Dave McNair who has crafted a beautifully balanced and full-bodied sound for the album without allowing things to get too slick and prettified. What s lacking for the most part are melodies strong enough to grab your interest and hold it. There are some hooks -- Take Me Down is quite singable and there s a great version of Nick Drake s Time Has Told Me -- but they re relatively few and far between and scarcity of hooks can be death for a country album. In this case the lack is far from fatal but it s noticeable. Recommended with reservations. ~ Rick Anderson Rovi