Kellie Pickler was right to wait to use her name as the title of an album. With "Kellie Pickler," her second CD, she improves at crafting songs that express her natural exuberance, and the emotional depth behind it.

The blonde North Carolina native may not have the vocal range or force of fellow "American Idol" contestant (and eventual winner) Carrie Underwood. But Pickler's down-home personality has made her a fan favorite, and her debut CD, "Small Town Girl," went gold without any singles cracking the country Top 10. Pickler co-wrote five of her new songs, including three of its best. "Rocks Instead Of Rice" crosses the sassy, spurned woman narratives of Loretta Lynn with the witty cattiness of the "Sex and the City" principles picking apart a rival across the room.

"Somebody To Love Me," an aching ballad, taps into the insecurity of loneliness with believable feeling, while "Going Out In Style" is a cheeky song about wanting to be buried in the shoe department of Saks Fifth Avenue. It's set to a brassy arrangement that updates country swing for modern times.

Pickler isn't yet as consistent as she can be, as a couple of songs slip into generic country-pop. But she's clearly growing creatively, and while some cynics may characterize her unfiltered persona as ditzy, her new album suggests she's far from a here-today, gone-tomorrow novelty.

By MICHAEL McCALL For The Associated Press

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