Knock on the Sky
Perhaps no female group marketed out of Nashville is as puzzling as Shedaisy, the Mormon siblings who named their trio after an American Indian word for "my sisters." Wrongfully compared to the banjo-and-fiddle-drivenDixie Chicksupon the release of their debut album,The Whole Shebang, in 1999, the Osborns emerge on this follow-up in all their full-blown poppiness, leaving not only the Chicks behind, but also such vaguely country performers asFaith HillandMartina McBride. Far more beat-heavy and rhythm-based than the album that produced the hit "Little Good-Byes,"Knock on the Skyshowcases more of their impressively intricate harmony vocals and attitude ("Get Over Yourself"), the latter finding more in common withBritney Spearsand her ilk than any Nashville counterparts. It says a lot that Richard Marx shares a writing credit with chief songsmith, Kristyn, on one of the album's most memorable and melodic tunes, "All Over You." But while much of the program gets the blood pumping, the majority of songs have the depth of a birdbath, and often sound constructed, not written, with a reliance on hokey sound effects such as a scanning radio dial and a not-too-credible tent-revival preacher. Granted, Shedaisy court the younger audience, but why should a teenager settle for mere grooves and harmony, no matter how skillfully it's layered?--Alanna Nash