Country Music: Cowgirl Blues

Kelly Willis captures the sexy wisdom of the heart

Wouldn't it be great if we all had the wounded wisdom of a fine country thrush? Singers from Patsy Cline to Patty Loveless have lent their vocal courage and frazzled hearts to plaints about love with the wrong kind of guy. They are what has kept Nashville pulsing through decades of shifting fashion. But the town didn't suit Kelly Willis. After a few albums in the early '90s, she split for Austin, Texas. Her new CD, What I Deserve (Rykodisc), puts a sultry Lone Star spin on the country sound. This cowgirl can sing the blues as if she'd grown up...

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