Sarah Pierce

With her contemporary singer/songwriter style, one would never guess that Sarah Pierce was born a cowboy's daughter and grew up in rural America. The experience, while unusual, has served her well. Love's the Only Way, Pierce's fifth album, combines her warm vocals and adept sense of writing memorable melodies. She jump starts the album with "I Wanna Walk With You," an easy-flowing piece with a catchy chorus and some nice guitar work by Alex Adinolfi. The title track lays Pierce's world view on the line as she sings, "side by side we can take a stance/and let our song of love be our anthem." Pierce's lyrics -- here and elsewhere -- are elevated by tasteful arrangements featuring Stefano Intelisano's piano/organ, David Abeyta's guitar, and nice background singing. This instrumental and vocal dexterity also offers a bit of punch to fun pieces like "Modern Day Robin Hood" and "Calliope." Pierce's greatest gift is her feel for melody. She never forgets to dress up her literate songs in attractive packages that make them pleasing to the ear, even if the listener isn't tuned in to the lyrics. Pierce also offers up two nice covers, first of Kimmie Rhodes' "I'm Not an Angel" and Chet Powers' classic "Get Together." The latter song, in fact, serves as the perfect closer for an album centered on love. Love's the Only Way will please old fans and anyone interested in tuneful singer/songwriters. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide