On the bittersweet “She Thinks His Name Was John,” a woman contracts AIDS from a one-night stand. This moving slice-of-life clearly illustrates that sin (“In her heart she knew it was wrong . . . too much wine”) has consequences. “Why Haven’t I Heard from You” playfully reminds the man in her life about the importance of communication. On “I Won’t Stand in Line,” Reba demands loyalty from a beau prone to wander. Elsewhere, she quells the desire to rekindle an old flame when she finds the man is married (“And Still”).
“The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter” implies that adultery is wrong, but casual sex between single adults who meet in a bar is okay-dangerously hypocritical advice in light of her life-and-death AIDS ballad, “She Thinks His Name Was John.”
With this one glaring exception, Reba delivers a decent disc laced with the vocal calisthenics her fans love.