Country music fans have been waiting two years for Sugarland's newest, and they will not be disappointed - unless, that is, they expect more of the same. This CD is nothing like the three albums they released in 2004, 2006, and 2008. It's far less twangy and far more rocking, as much Melissa Etheridge as Dixie Chicks.

This may be good or bad news, depending on how you feel about the change. Incredible Machine has the biggest sound the band has ever produced: sweeping, stadium-filling anthems that show off Jennifer Nettles' commanding voice, especially the first two tracks, "All We Are" and the title song. The third track is the already-released single, "Stuck Like Glue," a radio-friendly hit that epitomizes country-pop, with a brief, strange detour into reggae-rap.

The fourth track, "Tonight," is a heartfelt ballad that bears an uncanny resemblance to the aforementioned Etheridge. The fifth, on the other hand, contains the harmonies and themes we've come to expect from Sugarland. Called "Stand Up," it gives Kristian Bush his first solo vocal part on this CD and has the potential to be a huge hit on country radio.

The album's second half kicks off with the very peppy "Every Girl Like Me," followed by another Nettles showcase, a fine country ballad called "Little Miss." The next track is unfortunately the least successful song on the CD, "Find the Beat Again," in which Nettles sounds for all the world like Deborah Harry of Blondie fame. Whatever this song is, it ain't country! The album concludes with a straight-ahead rocker produced for the Winter Olympics, "Wide Open," and a gospel ballad accompanied by solo piano called "Shine the Light." Both are powerful, but the former is irresistibly catchy while the latter is positively conventional.

What to make of this outing? I enjoy rock and power ballads, and since we've heard plenty of traditional country songs from Nettles and Bush, I'm inclined to give them the freedom to experiment. But the CD is definitely a crossover, so country purists will call it a mixed bag at best and an utter betrayal at worst. If that happens, it will be a shame, a negation of the many enjoyable musical moments on the album. And who cares what they think? I liked it.

On their third album, modern country duo Sugarland (Jennifer Nettles-vocals, Kristian Bush-guitar/vocals) makes a bold bid for cross-over success. How well their effort succeeds depends on where you sit as a listener in the country-pop spectrum. Fans of modern country music may feel this forsakes the few threads of country roots that remain in Nashville's productions. Ironically though, fans of earlier, twangier country music may be willing to take Sugarland's arena-ready rock productions as just that - something fully divorced from Nashville's faint echoes of roots music. Taken on this latter axis, Bryan Gallimore's outsized productions - enormous drum sounds, slashing electric guitars, heavy echoes and the ubiquitous "programming" - make a good impression.

The duo's original songs are catchy and Jennifer Nettles' voice cuts through the rock backings like a fog cutter in a thick bank. When the productions occasionally lighten, as on the lead single "Stuck Like Glue," the music turns into modern day bubblegum, with riffy lyrics, cute singing and a toasting bridge that suggests Gwen Stefani in Music City. One might argue about whether Sugarland's previous albums had already moved far away from traditional country sounds, but The Incredible Machine puts the conversation to bed as the duo openly bids for modern rock success with power-ballads like "Tonight" and a heavy dose of studio effects. The closest the album comes to even modern Nashville's notion of country is "Little Miss," but even here the song grows from acoustic guitars into a heavily wrought production.

The reggae beat and rapping passage of "Every Girl Like Me" are sure to alienate some of the group's long time fans, though more on principle than musical value. Ditto for the punchy pop-rock "Find the Beat Again," which sounds as if it could be a hit for one of Disney's teen stars. None of this is really news, as the group hinted in these directions all along, and modern country production has become a virtual second home for modern rock sounds. If you held on to your U2 tickets through Bono's back problems, you'll find the sound of Sugarland's latest to your liking. You won't find Bono's philosophical world outlook in the lyrics, but you can shuffle this into a mid-80s mix of Simple Minds and Big Country without any tears or fears. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

It's no secret Nashville is a "factory" town; so when a truly great album like Sugarland's The Incredible Machine premiers, it reveals how anemic and cookie-cutter the majority of modern country music is.

You won't find any name-dropping on this album, nor any jingoism or the equally cheap religious exploitation that litters so much of the country airwaves. This is the sound of musicians reveling in their craft.

Jennifer Nettles' voice is refreshingly fearless. She can be brassy or tender with equal confidence. Even more refreshing, she avoids vocal gymnastics for the sake of vocal gymnastics - her voice is in service to the song on every track. This CD reminded me of how Springsteen's voice is sometimes unrecognizable from one track to the next because he takes on the voice of a character. I wouldn't go so far as to say Nettles is singing "in character", but she is singing with complete emotional investment to tell the story of each song - whether it be yearning, joy, or compassion - and the results are as varied as they are resonate.

But this is a duo, and Kristian Bush's vocals would be sorely missed from the proceedings. Wonderfully restrained, he takes the lead in #6, the appropriately titled "Interlude" that buffers the tidal wave of songs 1-5 before gently setting us out into the calmer waters (but just as deep) of songs 7-11.

What also sets this album, and I think Sugarland as an act, apart from the rest of the country music scene is that their songs are empowering. These aren't lyrics that tell the listener to grin and bear life, or how great it is to drown oneself in a kiddie pool of alcohol. When they sing of loss, it doesn't devolve to the maudlin; when they sing of love, it isn't treacly. There's genuine joy here, a genuine embracing of life that comes through these bold arrangements.

These are two artists who have found their sound, and the question isn't, "Is it country?" The question is, "When will country catch up?"

Sugarland does it again. I am both a country music fan and a Sugarland fan. Just because they play Sugarland on country music stations does not necessarily make them country. What they are is talented. They have an eclectic sound that incorporates great influences from all genres of music. I am always crossing my fingers that the next single or album will be good and my expectations are always, always exceeded. I will be listening this over and over again until I have all the songs memorized. Love it!

1) There are those albums you listen to for the first time and love each song.

2) There are those albums you listen to for the first time and love just one or two songs.

3) And then there are the albums you purchased because of a song or two you love. Once you listened to the entire album, as time goes on, the others grow on you and before you know it you love them all.

SUGARLAND, The Incredible Machine, is number three! The more I listen, the more I love all the songs. Great, catchy songs that will have you tapping your feet and singing out loud.