Place in the World
She's sophisticated, she's strong, and she's not afraid to be sexy--in short, Mary-Chapin Carpenter is a mirror on '90s American womanhood. Her songs explore everything from the complexities of boomer angst ("Hero in Your Own Hometown") to the simple joy of love ("I Want to Be Your Girlfriend") in a forthright manner that's garnered a following that spans boot-scootin' country types and soccer moms. It might be oversimplifying things to call her "a little bit country, a little bit rock & roll," but her knack for mingling guests like Shawn Colvin and Benmont Tench attests to Carpenter's refusal to accept a pigeonhole as her place in the world.--David Sprague