Beth Nielsen Chapman - Deeper Still (2016)

Beth Nielsen Chapman has long been a music-industry favorite, with the likes of Elton John championing and performing her songs. To say she's had it rough, though, barely does justice to the events that inform 1997's Sand and Water and its follow-up, Deeper Still--the death of her husband and her subsequent fight with breast cancer. Deeper Still's acceptance of hard truths will resonate with many listeners, while others will raise an eyebrow at Chapman's insistence that there are "angels by [her] side." As Hallmark as she can sometimes seem, though, it feels a bit churlish to throw stones at someone who could've folded as easily as continuing to record. Deeper Still offers nothing as pop perfect as "This Kiss," the hit she cowrote for Faith Hill, but those tuned to its singer-songwriter pitch will treasure it nonetheless. --Rickey Wright