Shane McAnally (Curb, 2000)

Shane McAnally is nothing more than an average singer, existing within routine-sounding production on his debut. But with a little more spice, this project woulda shoulda coulda been a tasty treat instead.

McAnally, who shares writing credit on the most of these compositions, has some original and witty ideas. "Little Imperfections," would become a real firecracker in the hands of a playful extrovert like Pam Tillis, for example. "Wait 'Til I Get My Hands On You," is also a smartly titled and written song. With an adventurous producer, the opener "Run Away" could have become a vocal tour de force, much like those Beach Boys classics of yesteryear.

Not everything here is limited to the "shows great potential" tag, though. "Are Your Eyes Still Blue" nicely melds fiddle and mandolin into what comes off as a sort of modern day bluegrass plucker. McAnally's debut may be little more than a hesitant baby step.