New Day Dawning
Artist: Wynonna Judd
Community Score: 7.00

Southern gospel and soul, rockers, and ballads all grace Wynonna Judd's fifth release as a solo artist and her first as co-producer. One of the most recognizable voices in country music, the depth and range of her voice can be heard from the first track, the rhythmic "Going Nowhere," to the last, the soulful "I Can't Wait to Meet You." Fans will... Read More

Permanently
Artist: Mark Wills
Community Score: 10.00

With a reputation for music and songs that speak to people's hearts, Mark Wills' Permanently doesn't disappoint. With songs like "In My Arms" about being a dad to a brand-new baby daughter (a tribute to his little girl) and "Rich Man" about being rich in love, Wills' has a penchant for appealing to fans' sensitive sides. But whether he's singing... Read More

Super Hits
Artist: Mindy McCready

Super Hits may be a budget-line compilation -- usually a sign of cut-rate product -- but it's nevertheless an excellent summation of Mindy McCready's two hit country albums for BNA. It bypasses her third and final record for the label, I'm Not So Tough, but that's fine, since that was a pop crossover move that didn't quite work out. That means... Read More

Greatest Hits
Artist: Michelle Wright
Breathe
Artist: Faith Hill
Community Score: 7.12

Being married to a sexy country superstar and mom to two little baby girls, along with her sultry new image and a huge crossover hit have all changed not only the way Faith Hill sounds, but also the things she sings about. There's no more spousal abuse, heartbreak, or letting go as heard on all three of her previous albums. On Breathe, Hill... Read More

More
Artist: Trace Adkins
Community Score: 10.00

More... is a very apt title for Trace Adkins' third album, since it essentially offers more of the same. For some artists, this would be a harsh criticism, but not in the case of Adkins, since he's proving himself to be one of the more reliable neo-traditionalists of the late '90s. Unlike some of his peers, Adkins doesn't pattern his singing... Read More

Fly
Artist: Dixie Chicks
Community Score: 7.71

With more than six million copies sold of the Dixie Chicks' first album, Wide Open Spaces, the highest ever by a country group, it's reasonable to have pretty imposing expectations of their sophomore album. But Fly delivers. When you watch Natalie Maines, Martie Seidel, and Emily Erwin being interviewed on TV or performing in front of an... Read More

The Secret of Giving: A Christmas Collection
Artist: Reba McEntire
Community Score: 9.00

Reba McEntire's second Christmas album is a departure from 1988's Merry Christmas to You. Secret of Giving features more down-to-earth, pop-country tracks that reflect her decidedly contemporary country style of the '90s. Cheerful and sincere, McEntire shows her usual eloquence on songs like "This Christmas," "Up on the Housetop," "This Is My... Read More

Single White Female
Artist: Chely Wright
Community Score: 9.50

Chely Wright reunited with producer Tony Brown -- the man behind hit records by George Strait and Reba McEntire, as well as Wright's own Let Me In -- for her fourth album, Single White Female. The record picks up where its predecessor left off, offering a selection of ten songs with clean, tasteful arrangments that place Wright in the forefront.... Read More

Keepers: Greatest Hits
Artist: Tracy Byrd
Community Score: 6.00

Keepers: Greatest Hits is an excellent summary of Tracy Byrd's first five albums, collecting the very best of his hits. Included are the radio version of "The Keeper of the Stars" (rather than the earlier recording that appeared on No Ordinary Man) and a new song, "When Mama Ain't Happy," neither of which appear on other Byrd albums. The... Read More

I've Got a Right to Cry
Artist: Mandy Barnett

If ever there was a singer who was born to sing the torch and twang style that Patsy Cline created, it is Mandy Barnett. A soft-spoken performer who belts 'em out with all the guts and grit of the founding mothers of traditional country music, Barnett is amazing. Producer Owen Bradley, a legend himself, is known for his classic production style... Read More

To Get to You: Greatest Hits Collection
Artist: Lorrie Morgan
Community Score: 10.00

To Get to You: The Greatest Hits Collection weighs in at a generous 17 tracks, but it falls short of being definitive. In fact, it's not necessarily even a hits collection, although it contains a fair share of big singles, including "We Both Walk," "Half Enough," "Good as I Was to You," "Go Away," and "He Talks to Me." Instead, it's a bit... Read More