As the lead singer of Catatonia, Welsh firebrand Cerys Matthews was once the undisputed queen of the British indie scene. When last heard of, however, it appeared she had let the rock star lifestyle go to her head, languishing in rehab and leaving her band in tatters behind her. Now, it turns out, she's settled down, gone to Nashville and brought back a country album. This is, of course, good news - a voice as good as hers shouldn't go to waste - but the result can only be described as a bit of a ragbag. Produced by Bucky Baxter, Bob Dylan's old guitarist, it consists of some obscure covers (Roger Cook, Handsome Family), an old Welsh hymn ('Arglwydd Dyma Fi') and a handful of new, Catatonia-lite compositions. Matthews attacks it all with great gusto, giving her lusty voice full rein and sounding a bit like a Dolly Parton of the Valleys in the process. For the most part, however, the songs are too shallow to be really engaging and the album feels more like a holding operation than a definitive artistic statement. It's nice to hear her back in business - but now Matthews should really find herself a few decent songwriters.

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