Single White Female - Wright, Chely (CD 1999)

Chely Wright's fourth album has found this artist hitting a comfortable stride with her art. Her first two albums found her seeking a musical style that fit this young woman and the results were only moderately successful. The first album was more traditional country while the second was filled with a lot of pop tunes that most likely confused any existing fans. Her last album, Let Me In, produced at least one major hit, "Shut Up And Drive," which finally got her noticed by radio and Country Music fans in general. Single White Female contains a lot more potential hits.

The title song leads off with an up-tempo beat and catchy lyrics; it's a song about searching for one's mate in the nineties and maintains an up-beat optimism. This single was released in full on the internet using AT&T's a2b secure music technology and gave fans an early taste of the album. This was clearly a bold move for MCA Nashville that paid off in fan expectation when the single hit radio.

In contrast, "Unknown" is a strong ballad that is relaxed both in tempo and mood. Co-written by Gary Burr and Aimee Mayo, it is biographical about Chely and reflects her own comfort with single life. "Picket Fences" is another ballad that Chely wrote and reflects this comfort with where she is now in her life. While she recognizes that eventually she wants the white picket fence, and everything that comes with it, now she is happy in what she is doing.

There are some good rock-influenced numbers including "The Fire" and "Some Kind Of Somethin'." These numbers bring the listener back into focus in case they get lost in the ballads. Traditional Country fans will fall in love with "Why Do I Still Want You." Filled with soft fiddle and quiet steel guitar, this song takes one back to the simple, rural themes.

If I had any complaints about this album, it would be that it requires patient listening and could use maybe one more uptempo number. But the collection of songs reflect strong songwriting and thoughtful interpretation.