Never Let You Know

Dear Stranger,
I don't know much about you, but I do know how you feel.

With 2008's Do You Know, singer/actress Jessica Simpson wanders from her comfortable pop confines into country territory for a set of twangy crossover tunes. Born and raised in Texas, Simpson certainly has more built-in country cred than many performers, and she uses it to offer up an appealing album proudly in the Shania Twain/Faith Hill vein. Although many of these songs feature pedal-steel guitar, fiddle, and other telltale country instrumentation (see the lively opener, "Come On Over"), Simpson never pretends that these tracks are anything but Nashville-honed pop numbers. Simpson also uses Do You Know as way to return to her Christian-music roots, as most readily embodied by the celebratory "Pray Out Loud." The record's crowning moment, however, is easily the title track, both written by and featuring the legendary Dolly Parton, who helps to cap off Do You Know with an extra dose of energy and passion.