Thinkin About You
Trisha Yearwood's fourth album leaves its often-spotty predecessors in the dust. After two lighter-weight opening tracks--the title cut and the smash "XXX's and OOO's (An American Girl)," both of which topped the country charts--Yearwood settles into her moodiest set of songs yet. Most perfectly delivered is "You Can Sleep While I Drive"; here, Yearwood tones down the overkill ofMelissa Etheridge's original to stress the lyrics' complex mesh of aching resignation. Similarly, "Those Words We Said" and her version ofTammy Wynette's "Till I Get It Right" are near-great vocal performances--not just on the technical side, but in the arena where the subtleties of true emotion meet topflight material. Even the requisite tough-girl offerings, "The Restless Kind" and "I Wanna Go Too Far," fit perfectly into this portrait of a smart, modern countrypolitan woman.--Rickey Wright