Hinojosa's is a voice that enriches the air - soft and feathery, harmonious alongside the exquisite instrumentation. A Heart Wide Open, Tish Hinojosa's first studio CD since 2000 is an album full of longing and reflection. Her deeply introspective songwriting reflects a woman in love with the images and ideals of her youth and of a woman who has seen pain in life but refuses to yield to its melancholy.
   The light Caribbean flavored "Never Say Never Love Again" leads off the album with its bi-lingual lyrics. A wistful call for the by-gone days of social activism is the theme of "Whatever Happened To Everyone Wanting To Care," followed by the reflective "The Kitchen Table." Hinojosa also examines the lonely plight of a forgotten veteran in "Blue-Eyed Billy" and the life of a performer always on the road in "Shotgun Ridin'."
   A Heart Wide Open is a beautiful testament to one of America's truly gifted singer-songwriters.

-Wynn Hayden*