Crystal Shawanda’s 2008 debut, DAWN OF A NEW DAY, released fresh off the CMT series chronicling her journey to a record deal, derives its name from the English translation of the Native American country singer’s last name.

It’s the perfect sobriquet for such a passionate, earnest record, an album with its soul in modern pop country, but propelled beyond run-of-the-mill by the quiet fire she breathes into each word.

From the kick-up-your-boots barroom brawler, “Evolution,” to the gentle, pop-ready ballad “You Can Let Go” (a bewitching message to her father), the album stays true to its Nashville roots.