*** Alison Krauss

FORGET ABOUT IT

(Rounder)

Alison Krauss's angelic voice has made her an absolute superstar of bluegrass, a platinum seller who years ago crossed gracefully onto pop charts on the strength of her magnificent vocals and gentle arrangements. She has remained true to the homespun values of acoustic music while putting forward songs suited perfectly for lite pop radio, straddling two worlds nearly since she was first signed to a recording contract -- on the strength of her contest-winning fiddle playing -- at age 14.

Fourteen years later, Krauss's eighth Rounder release again paints delicate pictures of longing and other soft emotions, especially on a retake of Shenandoah's 1994 number "Ghost in This House" and the set-ending lullaby of heartbreak "Dreaming My Dreams with You." Sometimes Krauss veers close to saccharine sweet, as on a cover of Todd Rundgren's "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference," part of her ongoing exploration of '70s rock material. But musical muscle -- dobro master Jerry Douglas, mandolin player Sam Bush, and finely crafted, often drumless ensemble work -- underscores the deeper integrity of her music.

-- Bill Kisliuk