There are some things in life that are worth a lengthy wait and new music from Crystal Shawanda qualifies for that list. Four years after Dawn Of A New Day, Shawanda is back with Just Like You. Listening to Just Like You, there’s no doubt that this is a country album — not a ‘new’ country album but a country album from the genre’s traditional roots.

From the vibrant steel guitar in My Baby Makes My Day to the haunting violin in Just Like You, the album is full of songs that easily could’ve come from the catalogues of Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn. The material is a little more deep than what was included in Dawn Of A New Day and is proof of Shawanda’s maturation as an artist and a woman.

The record sounds great and with 15 tracks, is a case of combining quality with quantity. As expected, the best part of the disc is Shawanda’s voice — it’s rich, strong, vibrant and unique all at the same time.

Jeff DeDekker, Regina Leader-Post, April 20, 2012