Anne Murray
This is probably the songbird's finest release ever, an album that screams quality and class while delivering an understated sound that spans the contemporary adult pop idiom and approaches the hip territory of Bonnie Raitt. Heartfelt ballads like "Highway, Highway" and Jann Arden's "Missing You" will appeal to her core fans, though it's the irresistible Stax/Volt and gospel grooves of "That's The Way It Goes," "Shame on Me," "I Know Too Much," and "Until I Was Loved by You" that best signal the artistic renaissance. Duets with Bryan Adams ("What Would It Take") and Aaron Neville ("That's What My Love Is For") are sleek international calling cards, and the raw edge of Murray's exceptional vocals speak of rediscovered passion and gutsy commitment.--Jeff Bateman