Dream Girl (Audium, 2018)

Juliet Simmons Dinallo draws on a variety of influences - Shelby Lynne, Dusty Springfield and Emmylou Harris all play out among them - but given her sweet caress and compelling stance, it's all but impossible to think of anyone other than Dinallo herself when listening to this utterly alluring album. She corrals her charm within the space of several songs, making each offering as glorious and gilded as the last. Aided and abetted by husband Michael Dinallo, an accomplished artist himself, she sounds like the ideal alt.-country chanteuse, singing songs that are so supple and sublime, they quickly find their way under the skin and linger there long after.

The enthusiasm and exuberance of "Tennessee," the lullaby lilt of the affecting "Fly (A Prayer for Sandy Hook)" and the robust title track (repeated with little girl harmonies as a final coda) each offer ample reason to endear Dinallo, suggesting that despite her relative newcomer status, she's got the goods and the gusto to elevate her to the upper strata of Americana's most accomplished auteurs. "Don't Got Much" belies the notion implied by its title entirely; she is, after all, an artist who has plenty to offer and who's obviously eager to share.

Produced by the Tremelo Twins - Dinallo and Ducky Carlisle - the arrangements and execution give the material the treatment it deserves. While most of the music glides along with a supple sheen, the rollicking "Curious George" adds an uptick in energy that suggests Dinallo is comfortable changing her tack at will. It underscores both her versatility and credence, assuring the fact that she has all the qualifications needed to accrue wider recognition. In short, consider this an album for the ages.

Lee Zimmerman is a freelance writer and author based in Maryville, Tenn. He also expounds on music on his web site, Stories Beyond the Music - Americana Music Reviews, Interviews & Articles. His new book - Americana Music - Voices, Visionaries and Pioneers of an Honest Sound - is available from Texas A&M University Publishing.