Wishes was
Lari White's breakthrough release, and it's easy to hear why. Besides the infectious, small-town summer crush feel of lead single "That's My Baby," there's the spectacular chorus harmonies of "That's How You Know (When You're in Love)" (featuring
Hal Ketchum), the gospel-tinged "When It Rains," and the brassy "Go On," which could almost be the fiery heart of a feisty insurgent country artist's next project for Bloodshot. Tracks like this showcase
White's torchy vocal, which is a combination of
Trisha Yearwood's brassiness with a bit of
Patsy Cline. Then there's
White's band, who give each track a ground-level feel that's often missing from top-line Nashville releases. Instead of relying on the comfortably bland, they grit up "Somebody's Fool" and "Now I Know" with honest hooks and touches of slide guitar.
Wishes is a solid home run of an album with much more to offer than simply its singles.