That's the Truth (Reprise, 1999)

After his 1996 debut album spawned the smash hits "My Heart Has a History"and "I Do," Paul Brandt fell out of favor with country radio. Now he's back with his third album, and it contains some catchy, quirky songs, but nothing that will propel his career to the next level.

"Scrap Piece of Paper" recalls Joe Diffie's "Third Rock From the Sun" with its seemingly random, chaotic tale of the travels of a piece of paper. In the white-trash wedding song, "It's a Beautiful Thing," one can almost hear Robert Earl Keen singing lines like, "'Mr. Charlie in his lime green suit is a handsome man,' remarks widow Callahan."

The one song that really cuts deep is "Sycamore Tree," which Brandt co-wrote with Steve Rosen. It tells the story of an abused boy and his determination to become a better father than he ever knew. Brandt is a fine singer with a powerful, deep voice and some strong songs, but he has yet to release his breakthrough album.