Mother

Seven years after her last work with The Dixie Chicks and 10 since she was effectively banned from commercial country music radio for criticizing George W. Bush's war in Iraq, Natalie Maines bypasses country music for a far more adventurous rock sound that lets her sing as never before. Producer Ben Harper keeps the arrangements fluid; his song "Trained" is delivered as a two-and-a-half-minute blast of pure hard rock release. Pink Floyd's "Mother" takes on a new point of view when sung by a woman. "Come Cryin' to Me," written with the other Dixie Chicks, nails down a solid Americana-rock sound. The Jayhawks' "I'd Run Away" defies gravity and takes flight. Dan Wilson, who cowrote a few Dixie Chicks hits, brings "Free Life" for Maines to deliver as a soft rocker. Patty Griffin's "Silver Bell" chugs along as a '70s Stones–like rocker, with thick guitar riffs and a pounding piano pushing Maines forth. But it's Jeff Buckley's "Lover, You Should've Come Over" where Maines uses every vocal technique in her arsenal to transcend all genres, ending up in a place of unique expression and art.