From the opening song of BUTTERFLY KISSES, his second record for Curb, Jeff Carson sets himself apart from the rugged, tough-guy persona so many male country stars adopt. It's Carson's eye for life's small successes which gives BUTTERFLY KISSES some of its best moments. On the inspirational ballad "The Stone," Carson relates the stories of a recovering alcoholic who has just made it three years without a drink and an unwed teenage mother who, against the odds, became the town doctor. "Like the stone from David's sling," Carson sings, "a little faith is a mighty thing."

While ballads seem to predominate, the album also has its fair share of up-tempo material. "Do It Again" and "Hangin By A Thread" are up-tempo rockers which will have your fingers snapping and your feet moving. And while "wholesome" themes do inform some of the material here, the record isn't just for the straight and narrow set. On "If You Wanna Get to Heaven," Carson advises "you gotta raise a little Hell."