Did I Shave My Legs For This? (Capitol Nashville, 1996)

Some things rub off and others don't. Deana Carter's debut is a prime example of both. Carter, the daughter of Nashville studio guitarist Fred Carter Jr., has the unmistakable twang of a singer raised in a home where country music is the spoken language. Her voice is waifish, breathy and country to the bone.

Stylistically, the album stays mainly on the traditional country path sticking mostly to ballads straying into pop only occasionally.

On the other hand, most of the album's cuts do not benefit from the warm glow generated by the first single "Strawberry Wine." There are some good cuts... the honky tonk swagger of "If This Is Love" and the sweet ballad "Count Me In" are quite respectable. The title cut depicts the lady's frustration of having her romantic evening at home dashed by her lover's preference for TV and beer.

Otherwise, one wishes they could rub "Strawberry Wine" on the rest of the songs and bring them up to its lofty epic level.