Jimmy Rankin

Since scoring platinum-selling albums and awards galore in the Rankin Family, Maritimer Jimmy Rankin has established himself as a solo singer-songwriter of real talent, which is confirmed on this solid outing. His sound is likely a little too mainstream for the alt-country crowd, but Rankin manages to sound both credible and commercial. He co-wrote most of the tunes with a cast of writers, including Canadians Patricia Conroy (her three co-writes are amongst the best here), Steve MacDougall, Christina Martin and Tawgs Salter, and some Nashville scribes. The two solo compositions ("Louise" and "Colorado Dave") are strong enough to suggest Rankin should go it alone a little more. Music City superstar Keith Urban guests on guitar on "Here In My Heart," while the duet with Serena Ryder on "Walk That Way" surely has hit potential. The production and guitar work of Bill Bell are clean, though a less-is-more sonic approach may have benefited a few of these songs. The A-list of players include the rhythm section of John Dymond and Gary Craig (BARK, Bruce Cockburn), guitar aces Colin Cripps and Kenny Greer, and keyboardist Gary Breit. Rankin's voice oozes sincerity and his well crafted compositions probe matters of the heart with subtle effectiveness.