Artist: Martina McBride

Album: “Waking Up Laughing”

Release date: April 3

Label: RCA

Availability: CD, iTunes

Song clips available on McBride’s Web site

This week country diva Martina McBride released her 10th album, “Waking Up Laughing.” Fans can expect quality from McBride, who has sold 15 million records and is a four-time winner of Country Music Awards’ Female Vocalist of the Year. This little lady – she’s only 5-foot-4 – has a huge voice that leaves listeners wanting more as she belts out the vocals in “If I Had Your Name” and “Everybody Does.” The track I enjoyed the most was “Anyway,” a powerful song McBride co-wrote with the Warren Brothers. McBride’s vocals build in intensity as she sings about choosing to take chances and making the most out of life, even when things don’t go as planned.

She sings, “You can love someone with all your heart/for all the right reasons/and in a moment they can choose to walk away/Love ’em anyway.”

Anyone with an ear for tone quality will get chills from this smart and inspiring song. Overall the album is a must-have for McBride fans and a good choice if you enjoy musicians with truly amazing pipes.

Martina McBride’s MySpace