Despite its title,
10 Song Demo
isn't really a demo tape, but it is what the title suggests -- a stripped-down, direct collection of songs (for the record, there are 11 songs, not ten). Conceptually, it is a brilliant way to signal that
Rosanne Cash
has severed ties with Nashville, as well as begun her contract with
Capitol Records
. However, the album doesn't completely work. Essentially,
is an official statement from
Cash
that she is no longer strictly a
country
singer, but an all-around
singer/songwriter
. Of course, she has always bent the rules of
music, so this isn't a big departure as far as songwriting goes. Musically, however, the spare, simple arrangements lack all of the
and
pop
production flourishes that marked her last two albums. Though it initially sounds fine, there isn't much variation to the music, and her melodies are frequently uncompelling. That can't be said of her lyrics -- they are as cutting, emotional, and affecting as they have been, and they are the main reason for listening to
. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine