Sara Smile

Though his country credentials are undeniable, Jimmy Wayne is no honkytonk hell-raiser. Instead, he emphasizes his Southern romantic charm on his third album Sara Smile. Wayne sets the keynote for this song collection with his sultry, slightly countrified rendition of the title track, enlisting Hall & Oates to sing backup on the tune they made famous back in 1976. He sustains the album’s tender mood in classy numbers like “I’ll Never Leave You,” “Just Knowing You Love Me” and “Belongs to You”; the aching “Just Look at You” is an especially potent dose of pure desire. Wayne’s softly smoldering vocals are applied to songs of loss (“All the Time In the World”) and personal conviction (“Things I Believe,” co-written by Keith Urban). Though Sara Smile goes heavy on the ballads, there are some outbursts of upbeat country-rock here, most notably “There’s a Memory.” “Elephant Ears” — an account of a child’s struggle to love — closes things on a sensitive note. Wayne’s easy-going elegance is a consistent pleasure to hear.