Leann Rimes is that rare country artist who can cross over to pop and rock without sacrificing her identity, even though she's left Nashville for Los Angeles. She's had her commercial hits, and she's sung from her heart, and the two have often overlapped. Her record label staggered the release of this fine album; as it was carefully rolled out over the world, fans quickly realized that you should never count Rimes out. Cowriting songs with esteemed writers, she's captured a natural tone that never sounds forced and gets to the heart of difficult matters of life and love. When she tackles "Gasoline and Matches" by alt-country's Buddy and Julie Miller, she brings Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas and guitar legend Jeff Beck along for the ride. Alison Krauss and Dan Tyminski join her for "What Have I Done," a track written with David Baerwald and Dan Wilson. "I Do Now" is the sound of Rimes coming to life. "You've Ruined Me" takes an alternate look back. "You Ain't Right" nails a vintage sound, while "Just a Girl Like You" mixes modern sounds with the past.