Back Home Again

by Stacia Proefrock Rhonda Vincent's 17 albums have seen her journey from bluegrass to country and back to bluegrass again over the course of a career that began when she was just five. Back Home Again solidifies here position in the bluegrass community, which is where she truly belongs -- her voice and musical skill never really fit well into the world of commercial country music. Vincent's greatest talent is as a vocalist, and her twangy sound is right at home on this album. On Back Home Again, she also plays mandolin on most tracks. She chooses her songs well, coming up with a collection of faith-tinged tunes about love and struggle, but at times her rendition of them seems a little fast and frantic. Bluegrass has a history of lightning-fast solos and chaotic jumbles of strings, but there are places on this album where a little more clarity could be achieved by simplification or a slight slow-down. Still, though, there are many highlights on the album: the touching "Little Angels," a cover of the great Dolly Parton song "Jolene," and "Out of Hand," which is performed with her father, Johnny, and brother, Darrin, recreating the sound that they had when they performed together during Rhonda's childhood as the Sally Mountain Show.