Chapter & Verse (Warner Nashville, 2024)

Gabby Barrett's sophomore album ''Chapter and Verse" has a lot of material she can draw from as a mother of three, and the importance of family and faith pervades the album. She enlisted some of music city's best songwriting talent in in the form of Ross Copperman and Hillary Lindsey.

The opening track "The "Chapter" is a bouncy number that is indicative of the collection sonically as she realizes life is a series of stages to be navigated. "Cowboy Back" is a fun '90s romp suited for cross format airplay.

With her production duties and numerous co-write credits, it initially feels like a lot to unpack in a tight 44 minutes. Her vocal prowess has always been her signature, and she handles the dense 14 tracks with aplomb. "Dance Like No One is Watching" conjures up "I Hope You Dance" and is the highlight of the ballads. There are a few boot stompers in the mix.

Many sophomore albums feature the artist going in a different direction or reinvention, but Barrett stays in her lane. And why change the winning formula? It has paid handsomely as this one likely will.