There, I Said It! (Cedar Creek, 2007)

Can a blistering self-analysis of one's psyche be transformed into a commercially viable CD" In the case of singer-songwriter Tommy Womack's heavily autobiographical latest, the answer is an enthusiastic "yes."

Although this is Womack's fifth solo album, it is his first since suffering a nervous breakdown nearly four years ago.

If nothing else, Womack is blatantly honest about his psychological travails as he deftly takes the listener on a journey detailing his emotional highs and lows. He explores desultory leanings on such songs as "I Want a Cigarette" and the melodic "25 Years Ago," and he can just as easily shift gears to the euphoric as on the ethereal "Everything's Coming Up Roses Again." He even manages to poke fun at himself by employing sardonic wit on "I'm Never Gonna Be a Rock Star" (with a nice vocal assist from Lisa Gray).

However, Womack is at the top of his game when his songs become an amalgam of emotions as they do on the highly lyrical "A Nice Day" and the highlight of the album, "A Cockroach After the Bomb" where he sums it all up by exclaiming "Sometimes you knock one out of the park/Sometimes you're a victim of circumstance." Touch�.