RECORD REVIEWS

LeAnn Rimes

Album: “Remnants”

Grade: B

Somewhere in between a debut, a multiplatinum album at 13 and coming out of an emotional spin cycle called real life 20 years later, a humbled LeAnn Rimes has grown up. The evolution is obvious, sometimes painfully so, on Rimes’ latest album, “Remnants.”

The industry fell in love with Rimes’ big voice in 1996 with her big hit album “Blue” and the hits and awards that followed. A few twists and turns along the way to stardom left her on the outside looking in at the machine that made her. Now she’s picking up the pieces. The voice is still there, though more mature and soulful.

Skip “The Story,” the song that hopes it will be a hit, and head right for the good stuff. “Do It Wrong With Me” shows the kind of earthy reach that Rimes can coax from her voice. It’s a sultry torch number that she handles perfectly.

The top track is “Learning Your Language,” featuring minimal guitar work that travels along a beautiful melody. Rimes’ voice coos and quivers in all the right places.

— Ron Harris, Associated Press

Emily Estefan

Album: “Take Whatever You Want”

Grade: A

She arrives with a last name beloved in the music world and dangerously treads in the same footsteps as her parents, who have 26 Grammy Awards combined. And yet Emily Estefan manages to make an impressive splash on her debut album.

The 22-year-old daughter of pop superstar Gloria and Emilio Estefan’s “Take Whatever You Want” is a 14-song shimmering, jazz-influenced beauty she wrote, performed on and produced.

It’s not what you might initially expect from the offspring of a couple that gave us infectious pop such as “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” and ‘’Conga.” The younger Estefan combines the slinky soulfulness of Erykah Badu, the righteousness of Lorde and the free jazz of Ornette Coleman. It’s sometimes a little self-indulgent, but Estefan never wears out her welcome.

— Mark Kennedy, Associated Press