Aces

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Employing such A-listers as Vince Gill, Beth Nielsen Chapman, and Mark O'Connor helped make this a strong outing, but Suzy Bogguss' appealing girl-next-door approach, her choice to straddle the fence between contemporary and traditional C&W and her perfectly pitched voice are what helped this album be the catalyst for making her a household name among country music fans. Whether she's handling the parting of mother and daughter in "Letting Go," the sorrowful heartbreak of "Part of Me," or the spunky "Outbound Plane," she expresses such sincerity you never doubt an emotion. Additionally, not many mainstream artists have the nerve to take on a subject that doesn't involve boy-girl love. But Bogguss' choice in the compelling title track shows just how savvy she is. Concerning envy of success between friends, Cheryl Wheeler's "Aces" is smart and hits just the right nuances without ever being as cloying or manipulative as many adult contemporary singles are in their need to be touching. Immediately following that emotional twister is the album's second strongest cut, "Someday Soon." A twangy, yearning tune of a girl longing for a boy who loves "his damned old rodeo" as much as he loves her, Bogguss elicits youthful hope that hasn't leaned toward jaded frustration quite yet. Not many singers can make riding the rodeo sound like the most romantic thing in the world, but that's what makes Bogguss an artist and not just a vocalist.

© Bryan Buss /TiVo