Nashville transplant Nancy Middleton hit solid ground with her second release, The Way I Do. After the slightly more country folk feel of her debut, Homeland, The Way I Do rocks and grooves with the confidence of an artist who has arrived. The anthemic title track would sit nicely on AOR playlists, the opener, The Key recalls Pat Benatar or even early Heart, and All I Do Is Cry would make Bonnie Raitt proud. A great sophomore effort.

This is going to be difficult! {I actually decided to "listen" to this performer because of her NAME! I used to bowl in a league with a fellow with the last name of "Middleton". I had never heard the name before, so my first thought was..."Perhaps they are related"? So I clicked on the CD photo to see if "she" looked familiar! HA! Well...She didn't look like my friend, but I decided I might as well go ahead and give a listen anyway! Then what happened "next" just blew me away!}--- How do you describe PERFECTION? When listening to the songs, I had no way of knowing if the musicians are part of Miss Middleton's "band", or if they were provided by the studio where she recorded her CD? There was nothing about this mentioned in the Bio!?! The importance of this is...That Nancy's VOICE and the MUSIC fit together like they were MADE FOR EACH OTHER! I listened to all the songs and I could NOT stop "moving"! From the first beat to the last these songs had me dancing in my chair! The VOCALS grabbed my heart and sent "shivers" of excitement straight to my soul! The MUSIC attracted me like a magnet, took hold, and wouldn't let go! --{that was an "unintentional rhyme!}{SMILE}-- While I was listening and grooving I checked out Miss Middleton's website! I was thinking to myself..."What is a lady with HER LOOKS; HER VOICE; and that GREAT BAND doing having to try and "sell" songs on a website? Then I saw this photo of her in Nashville "jaming with Marty Stuart"! Then it suddenly dawned on me this is evidentally not the "peak" of her performance; but just "another avenue" of recognition! [I was "humbled" upon that thought!] As I'm quite a bit older than she, have probably been both a "songwriter" and "entertainer" longer than she, yet my talent isn't even HALF the quality or ability of SHE and the BAND! I'm BUYING the CD!!! I don't think I can "exist" without it! The "magic" that happened with the first beat of music, and the first lyric of "The Key" was like LOVE AT FIRST NOTE! I'm totally in AWE at this point! What more can I say?

I have heard the question asked, "what ever happened to soulful music?". Well, now you know. Be it country, rock, pop or any other of a million labels you could place on it, this girl has got soul. Look for her up coming, as of yet untitled release, to be more pop but every bit as soulful. Loved it, Loved it, Loved it Loved it!

I can't believe that this album came out as another independent release! Why the big name record companies didn't grab this up is a real mind blower! This album reminds me some of Melissa Etheridge, only better. I've been playing it for everyone I know. First song, The Key, just ROCKS!! Can't wait for the next album!