My Review Of Taylor Swift's New Album

Hot on the heels of a still-smoking record comes 13 more steady tracks from Taylor Swift. How much can a 16 year-old music star mature in two years? Plenty, by the sound of her sophomore album "Fearless". It's never easy to follow up a triple platinum debut record, but Swift certainly hasn't done anything here to stop the momentum she has going from her first effort.

With one exception, Taylor reminds me a lot of Jessica Andrews, another young female country/pop talent who made waves back in 2000 with her pure, genuine hit "Who I Am", only to follow it up three years later with a stale, overproduced collection of tunes where she seemed to lose her innocence and sincerity...and appeal.

With Swift, however, she sounds even more "real" and heart-felt on "Fearless" than she did the first time around...and her appeal continues to grow.

"Fearless" is a perfect title, as she comes across confident in both her singing and writing. Her musical direction seems to lean over slightly more to the pop side of country/pop...I wouldn't be surprised if she totally crosses over at some point.

She still sings mainly about relationships and break-ups...she hasn't lost her innocence but she drums up more emotions. The record isn't overproduced and she actually bares herself more on these songs. My favorites include "Love Story", "White Horse", and the Michelle Branch-like title track.

This album should keep Taylor Swift going strong for a long time to come.