Can I Go Home With You? (Self-released, 2001)

Amber Casares offers a five-song EP showcasing a voice that delivers most of the time whether sounding bold, tender or pleading. In other words, when she sings "another winter night without you," the loneliness comes through loud and clear in a voice that somewhat recalls Kelly Willis. She revs it up vocally sounding like early Martina McBride on "You Lied" where she takes it out on her man. Stan Martin, who also produced the EP, offers lots of fine, twangy guitar on the song. In fact, his playing is superb throughout.

And the sadness and heartache rings true on the acoustic-based "The Next Girl in Line," a ballad Casares, a Massachusetts resident, co-wrote with Martin. Casares does well on well-written songs showing that she can sing (although she is ever so slightly off on one or two occasions). Like any good EP, this leaves the listener feeling even more would have been just fine.