 
Tina Adair
As a female bluegrass singer,
Tina Adair will inevitably suffer comparisons to Alison Krauss.
Adair even clutches a mandolin on the cover, although she doesn't
pick a single note on her debut. The 18-year-old Adair possesses
a powerful and beautiful voice, one with equal tinges of huskiness
and sweetness. The record suffers from too many toothless ballads,
but there are occasional flashes, as well. Of the two originals,
the upbeat "Midst of the Morning Rain" stands out,
while the sappy "Pray With Mama and Daddy" fails to
inspire. On the other hand, Molly O'Day's classic gospel rouser
"When My Time Comes to Go" receives a wonderful treatment
with ample room for Aubrey Haynie's fiddle, Bryan Sutton's guitar,
and Charlie Cushman's banjo. The contemporary covers of Janis
Ian, Poco, and Cheryl Wheeler pale in comparison, although Chris
Stuart's hook-laden "These Tears" finds a successful
bluesy arrangement helped by producer Jerry Douglas' Dobro. Once
Tina Adair s songwriting and song selection mature, her silky
voice will do the rest. Marc Greilsamer |