PATTY LOVELESS, "DREAMIN' MY DREAMS" (EPIC) ****

Patty Loveless is a Grammy winner, a member of the Grand Ole Opry and one of the most respected artists in country music. At age 48, the Kentucky native is no longer focused on trying to score that oh-so-elusive Top 10 hit single. Instead, she and husband-producer Emory Gordy Jr. are devoted to exquisite sonic craftsmanship. Loveless' last four releases have employed an organic sound that blends elements of country, bluegrbutt, folk and rock.

Artistically speaking, Loveless has had a magnificent millennium so far, and her new album ranks among the best work of her oeuvre. Backed by a cast of top-tier pickers, Loveless often sings about the most common song topics -- romance and heartbreak -- but these tracks are far from mundane because she infuses the material with monumental emotional weight.

The spare production reinforces the serious mood, giving a rootsy grandeur to cuts such as "Old Soul'' and "On the Verge of Tears.'' The proceedings are given some levity by a jaunty take on the Delbert McClintonGary Nicholson composition "Same Kind of Crazy,'' featuring Stuart Duncan's nimble fiddle fills.

This disc showcases Loveless' uncanny ability to create fresh interpretations of previously recorded songs. That gift is particularly impressive when she selects a song popularized by a male singer and gracefully recasts it for her plaintive Appalachian alto. Steve Earle's "My Old Friend the Blues,'' Richard Thompson's "Keep Your Distance'' and the country clbuttic "Dreaming My Dreams with You'' have all been recorded by many performers, but Loveless manages to make each one sparkle like a brand-new diamond.

-Bobby Reed