Rimes still has ballad chops, other styles on Spitfire

It’s easy to forget that LeAnn Rimes was once famous for her ability to sing. However, that was the case way back in 1996, when Rimes was all of 14, and her hit song, “Blue,” and album on which it was included shot to the top of the charts. Her voice drew comparisons to Patsy Cline, the gold standard of female country voices.

Since that time, Rimes has fallen hard and fast into the ugly trap known as famous for being infamous. She sued her father over lost royalties (a whopping $7 million was at stake), settled that suit, got married and then divorced after it was discovered that she was having an affair with a married man. That man, Eddie Cibrian, is her current husband. Rimes added spice to this tabloid mix by having a feud with Cibrian’s ex-wife. She also recently checked into rehab to deal with what was identified as stress.

All along she has continued to put out records, and they have been met with dwindling attention and fanfare. Her latest, Spitfire (Curb), was released a few months back and barely made a wave in the marketplace. The cover of Spitfire has a sultry, from-the-shoulders-up picture of Rimes and the songs are almost impossible to examine without doing so through the lens of the singer’s vivid life. The result is a record that hits high marks you would never expect it to hit while also bottoming out in ungainly ways.

The title track kicks off the record with a fast pace, pushed by a bright and light steel guitar. When you put this song together with her cover of Buddy and Judi Miller’s “Gasoline and Matches,” another that aims for an incendiary feel, Rimes clearly wants some of what Miranda Lambert is having. The instruments throw off lots of sparks but Rimes doesn’t have a convincing growl or any low register to her voice.

Rimes’ voice is made for the stark ballad, and she makes the most of “What Have I Done,” a song she co-wrote with Darrell Brown and David Baerwald. It is an unadorned confessional,

a plaintive cry from a cheater who sings, “There’s a hurt in me I don’t understand.” Rimes makes you feel every inch of the pain and you naturally assume that it comes from personal experience.

“Where I Stood” comes from the viewpoint of another adulterer (sense a pattern?), but this one is less inclined to leave because she doesn’t know “who I am without you.” The melody is subtle but strong, echoing the attitude of the narrator. Again, there’s enough space around Rimes’ voice for it to sink deep into the helplessness of the situation.

Rimes doesn’t just give in totally to ballads, and usually this is a smart decision. On

Spitfire the fake folksy “You Ain’t Right” and the clever-not-clever “A Waste Is a Terrible Thing to Mind” fall with a decided thud. Many others slide by without a hook or smart lyrics to make them memorable.

That Spitfire hasn’t caught on with country fans or country radio should be no surprise. Rimes is a throwback to Nashville’s diva days, the time when Faith Hill could do no wrong. There are great moments on

Spitfire and in those you see a way forward for this now veteran of country music. But it’s hard to climb out of a hole dug by the tabloids and TMZ.