Sonya Isaacs

Sonya Isaacs

Dolly Parton says that if Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt had a daughter she'd sound like Sonya Isaacs. Sorry Dolly, but Sonya's first mama would have to be Patty Loveless. Just listen to her sing "I've Forgotten How You Feel." And isn't it Patty you think of when you read "two badly broken barely beatin' hearts," the lyrics to another of Sonya's songs? Isaacs, who came from bluegrass and gospel as lead singer and mandolin player in her family band the Isaacs, is a protÃ©gÃ© of Vince Gill, who produced the seven best cuts and provides angelic harmony. Yet the album never completely jells, victimized to a large part by the addition of two more producers and additional mainstream tracks. Isaacs's soprano seems too thin to carry the country-pop tunes, and surprisingly, she doesn't display enough high-lonesome heart for the grassier stuff. That said, she shines on "Just Go," a song she wrote about the pain of unrequited love; on "Healing Hands" with guest Parton; and on the Celtic-flavored spiritual "The Battlefield." Next time out, she may do better, or she might also think about detouring the star route to concentrate on her real strength, songwriting. We already have one Patty Loveless, and taking Trisha Yearwood into consideration, two Ronstadts. --Alanna Nash

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