Jessica Simpson, 'Do You Know'

Backstory: There are artists who like to experiment, and then there are artists who just seem like they’re trying on styles of music the way the rest of us try on outfits at the mall. Jessica Simpson clearly falls into the latter category. She’s tackled everything from bubblegum R&B to adult contemporary to, most recently, glitzy dance-pop (on her very poorly received last album, “A Public Affair”). So what’s next? How does straight-up, mainstream country music grab you?

Why you should care: Between the Daisy Dukes, the high-profile romances (John Mayer, Tony Romo) and the constant stylistic shifts, it’s easy to forget that Simpson is still a genuine singing talent, with a powerful, gospel-trained voice. With the right material, there’s no reason she can’t still make hits.

Verdict: Simpson sounds a lot more comfortable twanging it up on big, Shania Twain-style numbers like “Still Beautiful” and “You’re My Sunday” than she did playing the sex kitten on “A Public Affair” or her stilted remake of Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” (which, let’s face it, was basically just an excuse for that smokin’ hot video). Still, you can’t help wishing more of these tracks had the urgency and catchiness of lead single “Come On Over.” The rest of the record is pretty much Nashville assembly line stuff: there’s the sentimental, nostalgic ballad (“Sipping on History”), the come-to-Jesus anthem (“Pray Out Loud”), the good-lovin’-gone-bad tearjerker (“Still Don’t Stop Me”). It’s all been done before, and usually way better, by Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, Shania—and Dolly Parton, who lends her pen and voice to the album’s title track, to little avail.

X-Factor: Regardless of what the critics think, Simpson has already won over perhaps her toughest audience: country radio. “Come On Over” climbed as high as No. 18 on the Hot Country Songs chart and prompted one programmer to admit, “God help me, I really like this song.”

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