Evans' ability to produce hit song after hit song comes mainly from her great vocals. She can turn an average song into a solid song and a great song into an amazing track. Case in point: the lead single and title track, A Real Fine Place To Start. On most other artists out there, this song could very easily have come out just sounding cheesy. But Sara sings with such emotion in her voice all the time that it just draws you in. On songs that are meant to be a bit more fun, such as the opening track of the disc, Coalmine, you can hear the playfulness in Sara's voice as she hits those notes you didn't know she would hit in this song. Likewise, on the edgeier Momma's Night Out, Evans gives the vocals a bit of edge to match the music, with a sort of "You take the kids, I'm going out, and yes, I look good" attitude. Her ability to do change this persona from song to song is incredible.
Likewise, her lyrical talents do not go unnoticed. No, she does not write all of her songs. She co-wrote about half of the tracks on the disc (six out of the thirteen). But you can tell when Sara had a hand in the writing, because the songs take on a more personal level. For example, You'll Always Be My Baby goes through life with her earthly father and her heavenly Father telling her that, no matter, she will always be their baby. It ends with a verse where Sara talks about her "little man" and how she hopes that he will also know that, no matter, she will always be there for him. Things also take on a very personal level on The Secrets That We Keep. If you can say nothing else about Sara Evans, you can say this: She has absolutely no problem with writing a great song about sex. On the last record it was I Give In, where at one point she told her man, You turn more than the music on/But will you be there by my side at the dawn? This time around, she creates yet another great song that leaves nothing to the imagination, with verses like As you help me get undressed/You don't have to guess/You know what I want and a chorus that sings out I love the way you touch me/You know my body so well/You don't much more than love me/'Til I'm overwhelmed. There is nothing quite like a well-written love song written about sex, and Sara has continually aced the category.
Real Fine Place as a whole is simply another superb offering from Sara Evans. Country music fans already know that and will find this to be one of the best discs of the year. So what about the people who just can't stand "The Twang"...what appeal might this disc hold to them? Well, for one, it's hard to deny this woman's talents behind a mic, and her vocals alone should be more than enough to draw you in to her infectious tunes. But, if it's not, check out the songs she a hand in writing: New Hometown, You'll Always Be My Baby, The Secrets That We Keep, Tell Me, Momma's Night Out and These Four Walls. You'll find her ability to make a song personal and draw you into it is quite impressive.