Faith In You (Capitol, 2000)

Steve Wariner is country's ultimate journeyman. He's moved from record label to record label in Nashville, often selling gold but rarely much more. Once in a while, he has a big hit like "Holes in the Floor of Heaven," but most of the time he releases pleasant music that is neither inoffensive nor exciting.

And that assessment holds true here. The 13 songs, all written by Wariner, are generally strong, but not earth shattering. "Waiting in the Wings" is one notable exception - it's a very pretty story song about two people who find true love unexpectedly.

The instrumentation is typically standard New Country, although it does vary on certain songs. "Katie Wants a Fast One," a duet with Garth Brooks, is driven by horns, and "Longer Letter Later" has Mexican feel. Wariner is well known as a great guitarist, so it's not surprising that "Bloodlines," a midtempo guitar instrumental with a distinctively non-country darkness, is the most interesting song on the album. Overall, this is comfortable and easy to listen to, but seldom anything more.