Lisa Brokop (Capitol Nashville, 1996)

With the exception of Anne Murray, Canadian singers have had a hard time establishing a lasting presence on the country charts. If there's any justice left in the world, bet on Brokop to buck that trend. This 22-year-old's voice has wisdom, strength and maturity rare in one so young. "She Can't Save Him," the first single from Brokop's second CD, is about a woman's realization that, as much as she loves her alcoholic husband, his fate is in his hands, not hers. Another powerful emotional statement can be found in "Now That We're Not a Family," as a young child struggles with fear and self-incrimination trying to make sense of her parents' divorce.

Brokop is equally at home with more upbeat numbers such as the jaunty "Before He Kissed Me," and "West of Crazy" an effort to map the broken human heart. The one song that doesn't pull its weight is "I Know a Heartache When I See One," an inexplicable hit for Jennifer Warnes that not even Brokop can do much for. She also displays some song writing skill. She co-wrote the song that closes out her self-titled CD, on which she promises to sing "One From the Heart." Actually, that's where all of Brokop's songs come from.