Jessica Simpson - Do You Know
[Sony]

'Do You Know' may be Jessica Simpson's sixth studio album, but the curvy blonde might as well be starting from scratch. Going back to her roots as a country loving Texan, Simpson is leaving her pop career behind and aiming to achieve success in the ever popular country charts.

'Come on Over', the first single from the album, kicks it off and it's not your typical country song. This track would fit in just as easily with Jessica's previous pop image, and if it wasn't for the (rather annoying) typical twang of the slide guitars in the background, you wouldn't necessarily know it was country music at all.

Slower songs such as 'Might As Well Be Making Love' and 'Sipping History' show off Simpson's vocal talent, with more emphasis on her voice than the music. One minute she's soft and sweet like Jewel, the next she's letting you know that she has a very impressive and strong voice. 'You're My Sunday' is one of the highlights of the album and will probably be another single.

'Still Beautiful' is a mixture of different songs. As it begins, the music sounds very similar to Paris Hilton's 'Screwed', but 30 seconds into the track you feel as though you're listening to 'Dreaming' by Aurora. Nevertheless, it's a cheery catchy song but It's the ballads that really make this album (and make up most of it).

The worst song on the album, although I'm sure real country fans would disagree, is 'Do You Know' - a duet with country legend Dolly Parton. Jessica's voice fails to impress here, although she sounds a thousand times better than Parton.

Country-pop does well in the US, but it's quite unlikely that 'Do You Know' will achieve much outside of America. Jessica has a nice voice, soft like velvet and not whiney like some country singers. It's well suited to this style of music due to her Southern accent, and if she keeps the balance between the two genres just right, she might manage to win over the anti-country listeners.