(self-released) www.carolannames.com

Given how the current glut of Americana artists has devalued the field to sub-prime mortgage crisis levels, to come across one that restores your faith in the genre is some kind of miracle, and San Diego’s Carolann Ames is a born faith healer. The grand prize winner in the 2004 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, she’s touched by angels as her rich, supple voice (a cross between Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Shania Twain) soars skyward. But in such confessional numbers as the strummy ‘70s pop of “Broken Down Dream,” countryish desert-rocker “Lavender Sky” and the bluegrass flavored “Bridgewater Creek” you can tell she’s done a lot of livin’ and probably a fair amount of sinnin’, too. Backed by a sharp crew of players (secret weapon: fiddler Melissa Harley), Ames traverses the Americana spectrum without repeating herself a single time, and it’s this journey she takes you on that’ll be your ticket to heaven.

Standout Tracks: “Broken Down Dream,” “Lavendar Sky” FRED MILLS