Kim Richey's first two albums fit, one way or another, into that vague sound called alternative country, but like many other acts in the genre ( Old 97's , Wilco ), Richey has mostly chosen to leave country behind for the sound of pure pop. Glimmer sounds less like a poppy Steve Earle and more like a barely twangy Fleetwood Mac or Sam Phillips , which would be wonderful except she doesn't pull it off. The problem's not the absence of twang; it's the absence of any pop appeal to do her songs justice. Throughout, producer Hugh Padgham fashions similar arrangements that bury Richey's rich voice and subtle hooks in atmospheric washes: strings that never soar, keyboards that noodle, guitars that jangle prettily--the album seems textureless. Consequently, even gripping songs like "Didn't I," "Hello Old Friend," and "The Way It Never Was" come off disappointingly flat. There are glimmers of insight in these cuts, but they deserved to shine. --David Cantwell