Six Nashville-caliber cats, spearheaded by an Amazon beauty whose heart bleeds through her vocal cords, Blue Monsoon win folks before the first chorus. The understated arrangements of self-penned and cover songs are subtly masterful. With the strength of Grace Slick, the spunk of a young Wynonna Judd and the precision of Allison Krauss, singer Celeste's voice marries rock and pop-country styles like she's strutting in Emmylou's boots. The backing harmonies of git-fiddle player, Deanna, lend real depth to Sara Evans, Little Big Town and even Offspring send-ups. Similarly, the acoustic and electric guitar combo blend perfectly to form that purely Yankee, nu-country sound.
Runners up:
2. Drew Cooper
3. Hank Topless
