Progressive country fans tend to regard Nashville as the devil, but here’s an album that would have benefit from a little Nashville polish. The Atlanta-based Roxie Watson is more a songwriters’ collective than a band; among the five singer/writers is Sonia Tetlow, the ex-Cowboy Mouth bassist who made a terrific solo album, Own Way Home, last year. Roxie Watson’s debut is a really pretty record, and that’s both a plus and a minus.

On the plus side, the harmonies are lovely throughout, and the arrangements—with mandolin as lead instrument, touches of banjo and steel, acoustic guitars, restrained bass and no drums—are invariably tasteful. Trouble is, a lot of these songs sound like hits and deserve to be dressed up accordingly.

Lenny Lasater’s “Compromise” is the sort of rural rocker that Garth or Kenny would’ve loved—heck, he even mentions his truck in the first line—but you get mandolin and harmonica when you really want the big guitars and drums to kick in. Tetlow gives the group its edgier side; her “Double Wide” celebrates running out on your partner for some moonshine, waffles and menthols (without making a big deal of it, she also lets slip that the partner is female).

A guest vocal from Paul Sanchez adds to the lively feel of the tune. Becky Shaw contributes the most traditional-sounding country number, “Someone to Cry About,” which is just a sharper production job away from being a classic jukebox weeper. Whichever direction Roxie Watson chooses to go, material is clearly not going to be a problem.