Erika Jo

1	I Break Things 3:04
2	Who You Are 3:25
3	There Are No Accidents 3:40
4	Go 3:35
5	Strong Tonight 3:54
6	Good Day for Goodbye 3:59
7	Wish You Back to Me 4:16
8	They Say Love Is Blind 3:22
9	Going 'Til You're Gone 3:35
10	Love Is 3:15
11	I'm Not Lisa 3:23

Barnes & Noble

Recent high school grad and Nashville Star winner Erika Jo doesn't waste any time getting on with life on her major-label debut. With 11 well-crafted tunes, some smart arrangements, and state-of-the-art country-pop production, she does her part by bringing conviction and real passion to her sassy vocals. Actually, she doesn't sound unlike Billy Gilman (a year her junior), with a dab of young Brenda Lee here and there, and her belting style brooks comparison to her labelmate Katrina Elam (who cowrote two numbers here). Erika Jo does plenty of that belting here, as seems to be the custom with American Idol and Nashville Star contestants, but to her credit she's also developed a bit of a funky touch, which adds a nice rhythmic wrinkle to the surging, pounding country rock of "Good Day for Goodbye." An age-appropriate tune, "Love Is" finds the young thrush singing of a couple who are not yet ready to abandon shallow pursuits ("We're not able to live above the bling," goes one lyric) for something deeper, in quiet verses and roaring choruses that show off a more subtle side to her singing. An effective cover of Jessi Colter's "I'm Not Lisa," in an arrangement propelled by a gospel-style piano, mandolin flourishes, and some moaning pedal steel punctuations, is deep and moving; Erika Jo's tender years don't betray her as she digs into lyrics written from an older, more experienced point of view. Clearly an artist with a future, Erika Jo comes out of the box a winner and, more important, displaying a maturity that bodes well for her future. David McGee

All Music Guide

Erika Jo is the first female winner of USA Network's Nashville Star competition, taking home the crown for the competition that ended April 26, 2005. She's also the youngest winner of the competition, but unlike American Idol, where teenagers like Jasmine Trias and Mikalah Gordon struggled to sound adult yet wound up as little girls, country has a tradition of precocious teens sounding wise beyond their years. Erika Jo isn't as gritty as Tanya Tucker was at the age of 13, but she's not dissimilar to how LeAnn Rimes channeled the sound, if not the soul, of Patsy Cline at 13, except Erika's sound is largely based on the bright, friendly feel of Reba McEntire, and how she leans toward crossover pop without ever abandoning county. Erika Jo and her producers pattern her quickly recorded, rush-released eponymous debut album (it hit the streets a little over a month after the show ended) after that sound, usually to quite an appealing end. Despite the quick turnaround on the album, Erika Jo doesn't sound hurried or incomplete. It's a glistening, professional Music City production, grounded by a set of sturdy, if generic, songs and crafted with precise, tasteful studio musicians. If it doesn't deliver anything unexpected, it nevertheless works very well within the confines of contemporary country in 2005, not just because it's well made, but because Erika Jo is a good, surprisingly soulful singer and an energetic presence who gives this otherwise conventional music real personality. There aren't as many standout tracks along the lines of the sassy, winning first single, "I Break Things," as there should be, but Erika Jo's infectious spirit and full-throated vocals keep her debut interesting, suggesting that this is a good start to what may be quite an engaging career. Stephen Thomas Erlewine