Back Home Again

by Stacia Proefrock

Rhonda Vincent's 17 albums have seen her journey from bluegrass to country and back to bluegrass again over the course of a career that began when she was just five. Back Home Again solidifies here position in the bluegrass community, which is where she truly belongs -- her voice and musical skill never really fit well into the world of commercial country music. Vincent's greatest talent is as a vocalist, and her twangy sound is right at home on this album. On Back Home Again, she also plays mandolin on most tracks. She chooses her songs well, coming up with a collection of faith-tinged tunes about love and struggle, but at times her rendition of them seems a little fast and frantic. Bluegrass has a history of lightning-fast solos and chaotic jumbles of strings, but there are places on this album where a little more clarity could be achieved by simplification or a slight slow-down. Still, though, there are many highlights on the album: the touching &Little Angels,& a cover of the great