Girls Get In Free
With one song about a pair of renegade women doing their best to emulate "Thelma and Louise" and another a coming-of-age ballad about "The Trouble with Trouble" ("is that it starts out as fun"), Trish Murphy explores the reckless edge of the "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" theme. The breathy rasp of Murphy's vocals and the melodic buoyancy of her tunes should appeal to a younger audience than most Texas troubadours, with fans of the sassier side of the Dixie Chicks finding a kindred spirit here. Though romance rarely runs smoothly in Murphy's material, even songs such as "Crying as Fast as I Can" and "Love Never Dies (It Just Gives Up)" have plenty of bounce. She shows a more reflective depth on the balladry of "One for the Boys" and "Eternal Dream," and teams withBob Schneiderfor a high-kicking cover of Lyle Lovett's "Cowboy Man." In Murphy's music, country storytelling and pop catchiness make an ebullient match.--Don McLeese