Kathy Mattea's brand of folkified New Country has leaked over into the Adult Contemporary market more than once, ensuring her a widespread popularity among grown-ups from a variety of backgrounds. With a crystalline, well-trained voice and primarily acoustic arrangements that bespeak her affinity for both Emmylou Harris and James Taylor, Mattea provides engaging singer-songwriter material that is as fitting at the CMA awards as it is at the Newport Folk Festival.
