Dress Rehearsal

1	Dress Rehearsal 4:17
2	He's Mine 3:32
3	Simple Life 3:50
4	Die of a Broken Heart 3:23
5	We Talked 3:45
6	God Doesn't Make Mistakes 4:21
7	Squeezin' the Love Outta You 3:36
8	Head Over High Heels 3:15
9	My Little Secret 3:41
10	Just Another Plane 4:10
11	Life as We Know It 3:35
12	I'll Let You Go 7:28

Barnes & Noble

A versatile vocalist and an artful songwriter, Carolyn Dawn Johnson ups the ante on her vibrant sophomore effort, Dress Rehearsal. She dots the soundscape with jittery fiddles, wailing '70s-'80s rock guitar, and furious percussion, and she's up to the vocal challenge posed by the aggressive musical support. Not only is Johnson projecting more personality than she did on her impressive debut, 2001's Room with a View, but she's also trucking out a bluesy, Deana Carter–like voice on a few cuts, and it's positively ingratiating. Philosophically, Johnson, who co-wrote 11 of the 12 songs here, reveals a pronounced self-doubt/self-affirming yin-yang that lends an interesting layer of meaning to this state-of-the-art mainstream production. In the title song, she advances a message of determination to live fully in the moment, as the music builds from a gentle shuffle in the verses to soaring, proud declamations in the chorus. On "God Doesn't Make Mistakes," to the lilting strains of acoustic guitar and pedal steel, Johnson sings forcefully of accepting who you are in every dimension, physical and otherwise. She gets feisty on the biting rocker "Squeezin' the Love Outta You," where she spits out a confrontational vocal aimed at a reluctant lover she's ready to dump. On a more sensitive note, "We Talked" is a warm, tender valentine to a couple resolving problems by keeping the lines of communication open, a strategy celebrated in choruses that build from a lilt to a powerful, guitar-rich crescendo. In "Head Over High Heels," with its fiddles working at a frantic pace and its electric guitars twanging and screaming jubilantly, Johnson exults in an ebullient declaration of all-consuming love. Dress Rehearsal, indeed -- this sounds like the real show. It should be a hot ticket. David McGee

All Music Guide

This sophomore effort from Carolyn Dawn Johnson is more of a tribute to her unsullied songwriting ability than to her vocal ability. The sassy Canadian co-wrote 11 of the 12 middle-of-the-road tracks and mostly what you'll hear in the first half of the album are fun and playful songs that don't demonstrate the vocal talent Johnson is known to have. Dress Rehearsal lacks the enthusiasm 2001's Room With a View so unashamedly articulated. The second half of the album seems to be ballad heavy, with a reserved Johnson sounding a little gray. Unfortunately, Dress Rehearsal is not an overly impressive second attempt and leaves you wanting more from the amiable Johnson. ~ Maria Konicki Dinoia, All Music Guide