Description

Not many artists can boast a Best Of album by their 21st birthday, but then not everybody logs a Lolita-ish hit at age 13, as the precocious Leann Rimes did with the retro “Blue” in 1996. In many ways, that auspicious debut was her finest hour, full of hypnotic, yodel-laced magic and savant-like promise. Since then, she’s recorded a fair amount of bankable pop (“One Way Ticket”, “Can’t Fight the Moonlight”) and a seemingly bottomless well of tripe (“You Light Up My Life”, “Written in the Stars” with Elton John). It all sits back-to-back on this collection of familiar tunes, braced with new audio recordings: “This Love” and “Last Thing on My Mind”. Alas, of the new songs, they point up the weakness of much of Rimes’ career; her connect-the-dots emotionality. Best advice: put the player on “repeat” and enjoy the royal “Blue” treat that got this career rolling, before the aerobicised videos and the embarrassing lawsuit. —Alanna Nash