Liquid-eyed Martina McBride finds herself in a holding pattern after 1997's Evolution, unable to break completely free of country radio's indistinguishably bombastic mandates but also perceptibly champing at the bit to disobey them. The arena-ready country-rock ditties lead her to overreach badly (did it really take three writers to invent the hackneyed "I Love You"?), and the trite power ballads just push her bluster buttons, but when McBride's got good material, she's capable of making music that's quite nearly memorable.
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