Sara Evans's 1997 debut, Three Chords and the Truth, seemed, on first hearing, impossible. Here was a major-label Nashville album that, once again, faithfully captured the heartbreaking simplicity of classic country; here was a singer who could belt out with raw nerve and then slip low into deep smokiness. Evans's RCA follow-up is nearly as good, even as it leaves that hard country sound for a more radio-friendly, rocking edge. Billy Sherrill handles the recording, and though there's a luxurious quality to the layers of guitars and vocal harmonies, the standouts "Crying Game" and "Great Unknown" sound more like driving Americana rock than Top 40 country-pop. The real attraction, however, is Evans's fluid songwriting and expressive voice: whether she's singing beside George Jones, Vince Gill, or Alison Krauss, Evans's true, warm tone is, on the mainstream country scene, an emotional world apart. --Roy Kasten
