Track Listing

1. Paint And Pillows
2. Smile
3. Too Damn Young
4. Men & Mascara
5. First To Never Know
6. Chasin' Whiskey
7. A Bridge That's Burning
8. Lonely Alone
9. That Ain't A Crime
10. Mama Don't Cry
11. All I Want Is You
12. Girl Next Door

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37703 in Music
• Released on: 2006-06-27
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
There's no sophomore slump here for Julie Roberts, whose second release is, if anything, richer and more powerful than her well-received debut. Credit the uniformly strong material, with not a throwaway among the eleven tracks, and four of the songs cowritten by Roberts. There's not a happy song among them, either, except for the nostalgic "Too Damn Young," about when love was fresh in a teenage way that it will never be again on the rest of the older-and-wiser material. The opening "Paint and Pillows" tells of a wife wronged by a cheating husband, and a hurt that can't be masked by window dressing. "First to Never Know" and "Lonely Alone" find a woman on the run from a relationship gone cold, while "A Bridge That's Burning" sings of the refusal to become the other woman. Best of all is the title track, through which the bittersweet voice of experience warns that "men and mascara always run." Though Roberts has the glamour-girl look of a Faith Hill, the Southern bluesiness of her vocal phrasing is closer to Lucinda Williams, and the fiddle and steel guitar that dominate Byron Gallimore's production show country music making few concessions to pop. --Don McLeese

No Depression - July/August Issue
Roberts is capable of something more, making her the rareset of Nashville creatures, artist who's more interesting than she seems.

Country Music People - 4 1/2 Stars - June 2006
She's as great as ever, the possessor of a solid South Carolina twang fused with a soulful, smoky, heartfelt delivery.

Customer Reviews

Julie is fantastic
I repeat my comment for a previous cd of Julie Roberts... FANTASTIC. Questo CD è forse (e dico forse) più bello del precedente. Sono assolutamente convinto di aver fatto uno dei migliori acquisti della mia vita comperando i due dischi di Julie Roberts. Mi piace da impazzire e la consiglio a tutti... Julie...grazie di esistere!!! Un bacio Alberto

Distinctive and Impassioned
Julie Roberts has glamour-girl looks and powerful and mature material to go with the most intense, unconstrained vocals anywhere. Her voice sends chills up my spine. This is a powerful group of relationship songs which tap into your emotion with Julie's hearfelt delivery. "I sing about life and experiences," Julie says in the liner notes, and she delivers as well as any other vocalist today.

This is neo-traditional country at its finest, especially the title cut. She sings on traditional country themes/subjects as well: "chasin' whiskey," lonliness, coming of age, cheating, and mama. Distinctive from any other country female, these are torch ballads with a sultry, bluesy style reminicient of the greatest country and blues women. As much as I love Julie's interpretation of these songs, I'd like for her to cut loose even more and record more up-tempo songs too.

In response to other critics, I can't help but be moved by these songs, and I can't understand why anyone else wouldn't be, however, her material has the potential to improve. She has not, in my opinion, reached her pinnacle yet. This artist has superstar potential.

The Voice Of a Country Diva & the Lyrics of a Small-Town Girl
Why this women is not a star is beyond me! She is truly talented and beautiful; I cannot fathom why she doesn't have the "diva" status of Faith, Carrie, or LeeAnn. Actually, I can understand - its that Julie sings "real" country music. There are no pop tunes that can quickly become radio hits on her cds; just pure, country music.

Men & Mascara is a superior album from an underated star; this is one of my all-time favorite country cds. JR has a voice that rivals any country diva and her lyrics feel as authentic and true as the "twang" in her music. A must add to your colelction!