This, the 7th album that Claire Lynch has recorded for Rounder, is the most contemporary thing that she has yet done. Though it's all acoustic, it's quite a ways from pure Bluegrass in arrangements and concept. Ms. Lynch is known as much for her songwriting as for her lovely voice, but on this disc there are just 4 songs that bear her name as writer or co-writer, including the nice HIGHWAY and WOODS OF SIPSEY. Though she seems quite enthused with the other songs she has chosen, I personally would like to have heard more of her own material. But the album can be called a success if just for two songs --MY FLORIDA SUNSHINE, a Bill Monroe song which Claire handles beautifully and which has been nominated for IBMA "Song of the Year", and BARBED WIRE BOYS. The latter is a real gem of a song and worth getting the album for --why this was not among the nominees for "Song of the Year" is a mystery to me.
