Tim Rushlow (Atlantic, 2001)

Nice start. Instead of jangly guitars or loud drums, a steel guitar kicks off Tim Rushlow's self-titled first album. And few would argue with his hit, "She Misses Him," an ode to a man for whom old age is not kind. True feeling comes from the hit song, a rarity these days.

But then the former Little Texas member missteps. Several times. First, with "In The Meantime," Rushlow skips to a bland pop beat, mediocre music that's no better than a B-side. Ditto "Crazy Life." Words thrown together with boring-as-wallpaper music. You call this contemporary? It grows worse. At some point, at some time perhaps someone will wake up and say, hey, songs like Rushlow's "American Cars" simply aren't country and do not belong on a so-called country album. With such trite lines as "thank God for American cars, thank God for you," they deserve no better than Britney Spears' voice.

Rushlow deserves better. Not that he's some gifted stylist as in days of old, but his voice possesses a poignancy that needs better songs.