A gifted vocalist and a strong, literate songwriter, Allison Moorer was one of the most critically celebrated voices to rise at the edges of country music in the late '90s and 2000s. While the sweetness of her instrument makes it work well for country, there are notes of blues and soul in her delivery, and she knows when to give her music a pop lilt and when to let stronger emotions take hold. Moorer made a striking entrance with her first two albums, 1998's Alabama Song and 2000's The Hardest Part, while the 2003 live set Show broadened her profile thanks to guest spots from Kid Rock and Moorer's sister Shelby Lynne. After moving from major labels to independent outlets, Moorer's work became more personal, especially on 2015's Down to Believing and 2019's Blood.