Pam Tillis - Rhinestoned

So where has Pam Tillis been? It’s hard to believe that she pretty much disappeared for four years with a voice like hers, buts it’s been that long since her last CD. Now, with the release of “Rhinestoned,” she is back – better than ever.

Returning to the country music she grew up with (her dad is Mel Tillis), Tillis has released a mature and winning CD, the first album on Stellar Cat, her own label.  Tillis combined with Matt Spicher and Gary Nicholson to produce a CD with hand-picked songs, songs she wanted to record instead of what the big labels thought would sell.

Tillis started collecting songs for the album in 2004, but it was when she found “Band in the Window,” a honky-tonk tune she could identify with, that the project came together. The songs include several heart-felt ballads including the first track, “Something Burning Out” and “Someone Somewhere Tonight.” The best is a total blues number, “Crazy by Myself.”

Let’s hope this marks Tillis’s return and the CD gets the play it richly deserves. She has a remarkable and passionate voice that needs to be heard.