The Hardest Part
Allison Moorer's talent is so obvious, the strength of her conviction so apparent, that you wind up doubting if she's really as good as she sounds. Strangely enough, Moorer's older sisterShelby Lynnemoved away from Nashville and emerged with one of the surprise hits of 2000, the Southern soul-drenchedI Am Shelby Lynne. Moorer, on the other hand, stayed in Nashville, took control of the artistic reins, and emerged with a sophomore effort on a major country label that is in many ways similar to and nearly as varied as her sister's breakthrough. "It's Time I Tried," for one, is deep Muscle Shoals soul while "Think It Over" could be aPretenderssong. The buried finale is a haunting Southern gothic ballad. Mix in a few bluegrass inflections here, some countrypolitan there, and infuse it all with classic honky-tonk misery, and it's clear that Moorer will not be tied down to any genre designation, Nashville or not. Her sumptuous voice not only packs a punch, but it can also bob and weave to great effect as she sings about love's many entanglements. Consider that she not only coproduced the album but also cowrote each tune, and any doubts about her talents begin to vanish.--Marc Greilsamer