Let me preface this review by saying that I'm not a huge fan of country music. However, I have been a fan of Trisha Yearwood ever since her excellent self-titled debut album. She has a vocal talent that many a righteous person would sell their soul for, and despite the many successes she has enjoyed, has never put on big star airs. I have yet to be disappointed with one of her albums, and fans of both Trisha, and country music in general, will be happy to note that she has again put out a gem.

For me, the key to her longevity and continued success, above and beyond her mesmerizing singing voice, has been her selection of songs to record. She has yet to compromise herself, or her music, by putting out a song for the sole purpose of having a hit record. Each song she chooses is not only a song she personally admires for whatever reason, but also a song that is particularly suited to her style of vocals.

With that out of the way, I'm happy to say that this album provides the listener with eleven slices of musical ambrosia, Trisha style. The album opens with a slow burner, "There Goes My Baby," which tunewise, at least to me, is reminescent of the song "Here Comes Temptation," from her "The Song Remains The Same" album. It's a song in the tradition of many "don't know what you've got till it's gone songs," and the melody allows for Trisha to play with and test her vocal range and dynamics.

The second song on the album is the intimate ballad, "Never Let You Go Again," which was written by the same songwriters that penned Clapton's recent hit, "Change The World." I can imagine hearing this song on a jukebox somewhere, on a languid, lonely night, and letting Trisha and Uncle Budweiser carry me through my time of isolation.

This is followed by the catchy Jamie O'Hara penned "That Ain't The Way I Heard It." This is a humourous, dark ballad that could serve as a response song to the Collin Raye hit, "That's My Story (And I'm Sticking To It)." As she sings it, despite her lover's attempts to talk his way out of troubles, "This town has ears and this town has eyes," and she's not buying it.

Though she is mainly known for her slower songs, she really shines on the uptempo "Powerful Thing." This is a fun, exciting, dance-hall ready song that she seems to get a kick out of singing, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this one released as a single at some time. Following this is another slow ballad (big surprise there), "Love Wouldn't Lie To Me." This song is a perfect example of what I feel is one of Trisha's strongest qualities as a singer: she is able to capture so much emotion in such an understated way. She has the ability to actually move the listener, all the while letting them think they're just enjoying the song.

The tempo picks back up with "Wouldn't Any Woman," a song about breaking up, but more than that, about being able to accept that a relationship is over and moving on. I like the fact that she chooses uptempo "bad relationship" songs. This strikes me as a more positive response than the ostrich response of sticking one's head in the sand when something goes wrong.

"I'll Still Love You More," the next song, was written by Diane Warren, who also wrote Trisha's mega-hit, "How Do I Live." Ms. Warren proves once again that she has a penchant for heart-wrenching ballads, and her soaring melodies are a perfect vehicle for Trisha's voice. This is followed by the sparse, haunting song "Heart Like A Sad Song." The defining line in this song captures it's spirit: "There's a wedding picture that she still keeps of the girl she was and the man he seemed to be."

"I Don't Want To Be The One," which provides yet another side of the ending of a relationship segues into "Bring Me All Your Lovin." Trisha gives credit to "Wild Horses" by the Rolling Stones, one of her favorite songs as a child, for inspiring her to record this song. The album closes with the title track, "Where Your Road Leads." This is a lazy ballad which portrays a romance that is a total partnership. She does this song as a duet with Garth Brooks, who, if memory serves me correct, has also had one or two hits on the country music charts.

This album is an enjoyable listen from start to finish in my opinion. Trisha Yearwood is no longer new to the country music scene, and there is a certain maturity in both her song selection and vocal style. I never expect to be completely let down by a Trisha album, and yet I'm continually astonished at the quality of albums she puts out. If your road leads you to a record store in the near future, this album provides a mighty tempting reason to stop in and make a purchase.