Room With a View

1	Georgia 4:53
2	Just Another Girl 3:34
3	I'll Think of You That Way 3:44
4	Love Is Always Worth the Ache 3:52
5	Complicated 3:48
6	I Don't Want You to Go 4:39
7	You Are 5:10
8	Masterpiece 4:04
9	Little Bit of This, Little Bit of That 4:48
10	One Day Closer to You 3:11
11	Room With a View 3:50

Barnes & Noble

Carolyn Dawn Johnson, the Canadian artist who wrote the chart-topping "Single White Female" for Chely Wright and the languorous "Down Time" for Jo Dee Messina, comes on pretty strong herself in Room with a View. Advancing aggressive, mainstream country with pop and rock overtones, Johnson shows off a forceful, urgent vocal style, à la Martina McBride (who adds harmony vocals to the album-opening "Georgia," an unrepentant kiss-off song for the ages) and songwriting chops to burn on a dozen self- or co-penned tunes. Love, of course, is what gets the ink in her pen flowing, and her soaring rocker "Love Is Worth the Ache" pretty much gets to the heart of the matter. Not that Johnson takes this single white female ethos to extremes: when something honest and true rears its head, she's willin'. "Masterpiece," its textures shifting from lilting folk-rock verses to assertive honky-tonk choruses, tells the story of two supposed outcasts who find each other and make of their relationship a work of art. Even better is a thoughtful, measured country ballad honoring a short life lived well, "Room with a View," inspired by her brother's sudden, unexpected death. Johnson may come off as a tough cookie in a lot of these songs, but there's a big, loving heart that opens up when the real thing comes along. David McGee

All Music Guide

Most newcomers are happy just to be singing on their first albums, but Carolyn Dawn Johnson does more than sing -- she co-produced and wrote or co-wrote all 11 of the album's potent songs. Lyrics like "I always wanted to get married, and I thought you were the one, but you never, ever asked me and I was tired of hangin' on" (in the loneliness of "Georgia") or "I could keep pointin' fingers, I could stay mad as hell, just let my anger linger, but as far as I can tell, I've just got to let it go" (in the emotional struggle of "I'll Think of You That Way") are convincingly telling as to why she's found applaudable success writing songs for the likes of Jo Dee Messina ("Downtime") and Chely Wright ("Single White Female"). Room With a View is a praiseworthy first effort that takes a hard-hitting, realistic look at all stages of a love relationship, and Johnson brings it to life with her dead-on vocals and pursuit of emotional triumph. ~ Maria Konicki Dinoia, All Music Guide