The McClymonts - Wrapped Up Good (2010)

It's been a fortnight since Australia has had a viable country star break out across the oceans, but the best bet in a long time lies in the McClymonts, a trio of sisters who, on their sophomore album, prove that they can rock that country-pop sound in a way that turns everyday girls into monster stars. Brooke, Samantha, and Mollie McClymont proved on their debut album that country music from down under packs a considerable punch; however, on Wrapped Up Good, their second release, they make it clear that their voices are destined for a market much bigger than the one in Australia. On their first two singles, "Kick It Up" and "Wrapped Up Good," the ladies invoke all of the biggest country stars, like the Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain, and Miranda Lambert. In other words, they've retained that sultry twang but have added in some slick pop hooks that make their sound impeccably mainstream. Lead singer Brooke dazzles through and through with her voice; however, the album's lack of truly magical ballads is apparent. Throughout the middle of the album there is a vague sense of cruise control in terms of content and style, but "Cannonball" and "Boy Who Cried Love" both suggest that this album has plenty of smash records to come. "Boy Who Cried Love" in particular has inexplicably not been released as a single yet, but should be -- on this song the wild McClymonts prove themselves to be sassy, funky, and purely country. Considering it's been almost half a decade since country has seen a girl group find success, Wrapped Up Good and the McClymonts stand as one fierce choice for dominating radio waves at the close of the new millennium's first decade and beyond.