Rissi Palmer (1700 Entertainment, 2007)

Rissi Palmer hit the charts with the sassy, uptempo single "Country Girl," but that doesn't represent the majority of tunes on her self-titled debut.

The Missouri native's 12-songs are chock full of ballads and a few mid-tempo songs. That's a good thing, considering Palmer has the vocal power to shine on everything from contemporary ballads like "I'm Not Of This World" and "Butterflies" to a well-done Patsy Cline cover, "Leavin' On Your Mind." Another ballad, "All This Woman Needs," features excellent harmony vocals, reminiscent of classic songs by The Judds.

While establishing herself as a ballad singer, Palmer also shows versatility with the bluesy "Mr. Ooh La La La," the midtempo "Flowers On My Window Ledge" where she reflects on what might have been, and "Sweet Contradictions", one of the few uptempo songs on the album where she wonders whether to listen to her heart or mind.