Aug 26th 5:09 PM

Patty Loveless * Strong Heart (EPIC). One of the last bastions of authentic country goes mostly pop on this uneven offering. While the fiddle-laced "My Heart Will Never Break This Way Again" ranks with her best gut-wrenching confessionals, Loveless bypasses strong emotion for radio fluff and snore-inducing ballads. Tasteful, yes, but tepid, too; not even guests Steve Earle, Trisha Yearwood, and Travis Tritt can help. C+ - Alanna Nash