Mindy Smith's voice flies high like Tar Heel blue sky—crisp, clear and expansive. After two albums that leaned on rootsy country leavened with Adult Contemporary pop texture, Smith largely dropped the twang for last year's Stupid Love. Though the LP is not an unqualified success, Smith's vocals remain peculiarly evocative, like someone's beauty softening you up to their smarts. There's a vulnerability that suffuses her songs and a candor that catches you off guard, boosting the less distinctive elements of the music. —Chris Parker