In a better world,
Heather Myles would be a bigger star than
Shania Twain or
Faith Hill -- or at very least a bigger country star. Possessing a voice that blends the homey sass of
Loretta Lynn with the sweetness and precision of
Patsy Cline while adding a nobody's-fool strength and modern-day spunk that's all her own,
Myles cut some of the finest female honky tonk of the 1990s, and by all rights she should have a handful of hit records to her credit, but for the moment she has to settle for the admiration of people who still dig country in its more honest form (among them fans
Dwight Yoakam and
Merle Haggard).
Rum and Rodeo is a compilation that gathers together 13 sides from
Myles' first two albums, released by Hightone Records -- eight from 1992's
Just Like Old Times and five from 1995's
Untamed -- while throwing in a solid outtake from the
Just Like Old Times sessions as a bonus. The songs are great (most of them written by
Myles herself), the backing band is superb (with
Buddy Miller,
Greg Leisz and
Brantley Kearns among the pickers), and the production is rootsy and sympathetic with just enough modern-day sheen. While
Myles has yet to make a bad studio album,
Rum and Rodeo gives you the best moments from her first two times at bat, and if you're looking for an introduction to her music, this isn't a bad place to get started. ~ Mark Deming