I'm Just a Girl

1	I'm Just a Girl 3:34
2	There's No Limit 3:29
3	You and Tequila 3:43
4	Me and the Radio 4:21
5	Cover of a Magazine 4:40
6	Wildflower 4:17
7	Twice as Worth It 4:06
8	Eddie 2:50
9	Waiting / T Double 4:36
10	Liar 2:29
11	Goodbye Train 4:33
12	Girls' Night 4:07

Barnes & Noble

After a spectacular start in 1996 with the multiplatinum Did I Shave My Legs for This?, Deana Carter has had some tough breaks, including an underappreciated if uneven follow-up, Everything's Gonna Be Alright, a DUI conviction, and a split with her label. She rebounded in 2001 with Father Christmas, a stirring holiday disc recorded in her home, and now she's back in the big leagues in a big way with I'm Just a Girl. The album plays to her strengths, which include her dry, seductive voice, an alluring country twang, and bluesy nuances. Behind her, an acoustic foundation opens up into a solid country-rock ensemble, while her songs (all are either written or co-written by Carter) betray a craftsman's diligence, a diarist's fearlessness, and a nonconformist attitude when it comes to all things female. Carter proudly proclaims the latter on the rocking title cut, wherein she expresses a longing for "an old Corvette with the top down...baseball and apple pie to feel alive" rather than the ephemeral trappings of luxury. "Me and the Radio" celebrates the joys of solitude via a gentle, swaying rhythm and soft guitars that occasionally erupt in triumphant howls. Cooing sensually in "Wildflower" about her need for some breathing room that doesn't preclude intimacy, Carter casts her wish list in the wee-small-hours hues of mid-tempo country blues. And on the torchy, oh-so-slightly-country ballad "Twice as Worth It," her sultry come-on beckoning her lover evokes the heat of a classic Julie London siren call. Just a girl? Man, she sounds like an invincible woman. David McGee

All Music Guide

Deana Carter had a hard time following up her acclaimed debut, 1995's Did I Shave My Legs For This?, stumbling with 1998's Everything's Gonna Be Alright before leaving Capitol Records and re-emerging nearly four and a half years later on Arista Nashville with I'm Just a Girl. A lot had happened in country music in the years that Carter sat out, including shifts toward both pop (in Shania Twain and Faith Hill) and roots (the O Brother Where Art Thou? phenomenon), and Carter continues to run outside the path by not pursuing either direction. Instead, she aims straight toward the heart of adult pop (slightly ironic, given the album's title and its 17 magazine-styled artwork), which really isn't too far off from where she was with on her first record. Still, there are telling differences: The production, apart from the closing raver "Girls' Night," is all smooth and polished, sweetened with pop and lacking nearly any hint of country, as well as the clear sense of humor. There's a keener eye toward a broader audience, right down to the cheesecake photos inside the liner notes, and the product placement in "I'm Just a Girl" sits uneasily (particularly since closing the chorus with "I'm a Chevy girl" makes it sound like an unofficial commercial). Those may seem disarming to those looking for the organic feel of Did I Shave My Legs, but Carter does this pleasing adult pop better than nearly any of her peers, partially because her ambitions are modest and her songwriting is sturdy and tuneful. At times, the production is so even, the music simply flows out of the speaker without distinction between tracks, but the result is a record that holds together as a nice mood piece while holding up as individual songs. True, it doesn't deliver a knockout punch upon the first listen, but it wasn't designed to. It's a quiet grower, filled with easy listening and sunny vibes. It might not earn quite the same audience as her debut, but this is about as good as adult-oriented pop gets in 2003. Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Entertainment Weekly

I'm Just a Girl showcases one of Nashville's most underrated artists, poised for a comely comeback. (B+) Alanna Nash