is one of the artists who helped break down the barriers between bluegrass and mainstream country music, but even though country radio was willing to make room for her, never seemed to be interested in courting their favor. has always followed her own creative path and let the audience come to her with her mature and adventurous approach to acoustic music. Thirty years into her recording career, has made her most specifically "country" album to date, though it's a musical left turn into a very specific time and place in country's history. Released in 2017, is a polished and carefully crafted tribute to the countrypolitan sounds of the '50s and '60s, music that fused the emotional honesty and personal storytelling of country with smooth, sophisticated production dominated by pianos and strings, and the set list draws from old standards rather than contemporary compositions. Producer has designed as a showcase for the vocalist, with her stellar fiddle work appearing on only one track. While pale shadows of contemporary country can be heard in these performances, numbers like "Losing You," "You Don't Know Me," and the title track owe far more to 's classic "Nashville sound" sides than anything that's come out of Music City in the past decade. Even when the music takes on a twangier approach on "Poison Love" and "It's Goodbye and So Long to You," 's production and arrangements are steeped in the sounds of the past; while 's bluegrass music always sounded fresh and contemporary in its approach, is the sound of her moving forward into the past. If this is a very different album, it's also a good one; the accompaniment is slick, but it's brilliantly executed, and favors the clarity and emotional range of 's voice. She meets the demands of the material beautifully, and she brings a warmth and subtle passion to songs like "Gentle on My Mind" and "You Don't Know Me" that makes you briefly forget the definitive recordings of these classics. It remains to be seen if is a brief creative detour for or the first salvo of a new creative direction. But if wants to be the new voice of retro countrypolitan music, leaves no doubt that she has the talent and the intelligence to make it work, and this album is a richly satisfying experience. [A Deluxe Edition added four live bonus tracks.] ~ Mark Deming