#7: Kasey Chambers - 'Wayward Angel'

Australian superstar Kasey Chambers is but a blip on the radar here in the U.S., but Wayward Angel should have corrected that to some degree. Alas, as her popularity rises in her homeland, Chambers spends less and less time here trying to charm the fans of Gretchen Wilson and Toby Keith. Nevertheless, Wayward Angel is her best album yet, though not a significant departure from her previous two records. Opting for bluegrass purity and slow-burn intensity, Chambers has very little chance of cracking country music radio in the age of Big & Rich. As long as her hit records from down under keep finding their way to these shores, I’ll be a happy guy.