Personnel: Martina McBride (vocals); B. James Lowry, Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar); Paul Worley, J.T. Corenflos, Steve Gibson, Brent Mason (electric guitar); Dan Dugmore (dobro); Stuart Duncan (fiddle); Nashville String Machine (strings); Reese Wynans, Steve Nathan (Hammond b-3 organ); Tim Lauer (synthesizer); Glenn Worf (bass instrument); Matt Chamberlain (drums); David Huff (percussion); Keith Urban, Vicki Hampton, Robert Bailey, Kim Fleming, Brett Warren (background vocals).

Martina McBride is one of the most reliable female performers in country music. Her bright, sunny twang-filled albums have been appearing on the charts since she first arrived on the scene in 1992. On her ninth studio album, WAKING UP LAUGHING, McBride continues to mine a slick, honky-tonk-tinged pop vibe that expertly splits the difference between commercial anthems ("How I Feel") and slightly tougher material ("Cry Cry [Til the Sun Shines]"). With her nearly flawless voice fully intact, McBride also co-produced and wrote several songs on the album--including the smash single "Anyway" and the harrowing, yet oddly sunny-sounding tale of hard times, "Beautiful Again"--making it perhaps the most personal album of her career.

Entertainment Weekly (p.77) - "LAUGHING neatly adds some country-rock fiber to her usual sunniness..." -- Grade: B+