Julie Roberts – Men & Mascara

Julie Roberts 2004 self-titled debut successfully positioned her as an everygirl alternative to Nashvilles then-reigning divas, the robotically exuberant Shania Twain and the pristinely glitzy Faith Hill. Her sophomore effort gets down to business in much the same way. Populated mostly with midtempo country-pop tracks and a few wistful ballads, its an appealingly low-key offering, sometimes too much so. Roberts is turning into one of Nashvilles more malleable stars, capable of sounding appropriately reproving (on kiss-off tracks such as the great opener, Paint And Pillows, and First To Never Know, one of several tracks she co-wrote herself) or suitably tragic (as on the weeper All I Want), though without much evident personality of her own. Theres just enough depth on Men & Mascara to suggest Roberts is capable of something more, making her that rarest of Nashville creatures an artist whos more interesting than she seems.