AFTER the showy swell of I Am Shelby Lynne, which gave the long-standing country singer a newcomer's niche, and the slick disappointment of Love Shelby, Shelby Lynne appears to be in control.
Gone are the cheesecake cover pictures from Love Shelby, to be replaced by unadorned black and white portraits.
The music is similarly stripped down, letting the songs stand rather than dipping them in syrup.
While there is still a hovering suggestion that Lynne could go further and do something better, Identity Crisis is a handsome collection of strong songs. First up is the acoustic rock of Telephone, a quiet, catchy conversation that gradually exerts its grip.
Elsewhere, the country-gospel of 10 Rocks gives way to the country-washed I Don't Think So. The album's title, if once again a little self-serving, does suggest a musician looking for something as she moves back and forth between country and the politer quarters of blues and rock.
Updated: 11:38 Thursday, November 06, 2003
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