Corn Fed (Warner, 2006)

Not sure if Shannon Brown has been fed on corn because she sounds like maybe she inhaled ethanol. That's because several songs are the sort of high octane country with too much blaring guitar and too loud drums. In "High Horses," Brown name checks a lot of country folks (Johnny Cash, Shania Twain, Kenny Chesney), which she uses for cover against those who would accuse her of being watered down country. And Brown is on her high horse on the title track where the rural folks are apparently the only ones who are well-mannered and fly the flag.

Elsewhere, Brown emulates Sheryl Crow and a funky sound ("She Brings the Lightning Down" and "Good Ole Days").

And it should be no surprise that there's a Big & Rich influence either ("Big Man") given that John Rich produced the disc.

One gets the sense that Brown in her third label go round (she was on Arista and BNA) is still trying to find her voice. Too bad because she sings well enough, but there are a lot of good voices out there who know what they want a lot more.