Trisha Yearwood
firmly enters middle-age with
Everybody Knows
, a collection of ballads and country-pop. Even when she kicks the tempo into high-gear,
Yearwood
and her band lay back, easing the beat along instead of pushing it. Similarly, the country-pop is engaging and relaxed, gently winning you over. But the heart of the album lies in her ballads, which are appropriately theatrical and grandiose -- it's big music with big melodies. The quality of the songs are a little uneven, but
continues to improve as a singer, which means she brings conviction even to the lackluster material on
. ~ Thom Owens