Carrie Rodriguez - She Ain't Me (2009)

Carrie's sophomore release, She Ain't Me, still showcases her intimate croon, but this classically trained singer/songwriter has just begun flexing her artistic muscles. She Ain't Me is an expectation-confounding statement from Carrie, who notes, "Because I took some chances, wrote with some new people and actually co-wrote most of the songs on the album, it's very different." For She Ain't Me, the Austin-born, Berklee-trained violinist-turned-fiddler teamed with producer Malcolm Burn (Emmylou Harris, Patti Smith, Kaki King) and wrote with Gary Louris of the Jayhawks, as well as Mary Gauthier, Dan Wilson, and Jim Boquist. The album also features a guest vocal appearance by Lucinda Williams.