Farmer's Daughter

Her assertive yet tender vocals and folk-influenced songwriting make Crystal Bowersox's major-label debut Farmer’s Daughter stand out from the pack as well. More than most American Idol alumni, Bowersox radiates authenticity — there’s real angst and desire in her tales of growing up in rural Ohio. From the angry title track to the reflective “Holy Toledo” and the urgent “On the Run,” she conveys the spirit of a yearning soul with believable passion. Bowersox is able to celebrate the joys of classic pop-culture in “Ridin’ With the Radio” as well as deliver heartfelt romantic balladry in “Mason,” a duet with husband Brian Walker. There’s a late-‘60s hippie vibe to many of these tracks, with “Speak Now” conjuring up flashes of the Band and a cover of the Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” rekindling the fires of the protest era. With “Arlene,” Crystal offers a character study of a tough, resolute woman that could serve as her own personal anthem. Bowersox definitely scores impressively with this release.