Cowgirl's Prayer gives us plenty of classic Emmylou Harris, but also many glimpses into an edgier sound that was yet to follow on her subsequent albums. Produced by Allen Reynolds and Richard Bennett, Emmylou is backed by an outstanding lineup of Nashville session vets, as well a the vocal talents of Kieran Kane, Allison Krauss, Trisha Yearwood and Ashley Cleveland. She's chosen 11 first rate songs by writers that include Lucinda Williams, Eddy Arnold, Kieran Kane, David Olney, Leonard Cohen, Jesse Winchester, and includes a self penned song.

The album opens with the acoustic "A Ways To Go," a song of determination, where Emmylou's fluttering vocals perfectly convey the song's message. "The Light" gives us our first glimpse into an edgier Emmylou. This Kieran Kane penned song has a dark, brooding melody with a subtle, percolating rhythm. Emmylou rocks with authority on "High Powered Love," a high powered country-rocker about just wanting real love. She dusts off the Eddy Arnold classic, "You Don't Know Me," and delivers the song with both stunning beauty and sorrowful ache. Emmylou's self-penned "Prayer In Open D," a lovely reflective ballad, easily equals every other song she chose for Cowgirl's Prayer. Her edgier side come though again with her truly outstanding fiddle driven cover of Lucinda Williams' "Crescent City." Once again Emmylou shows she's a master at conveying heartache ballads on "Lovin' You Again," with it's slightly gritty edge. 

Cowgirl's Prayer's centerpiece is her cover of David Olney's "Jerusalem Tomorrow." It's the story of a desert showman, a false prophet, who feels his thunder is being stolen by a Galilean who is healing the sick for free, putting him out of business. He goes looking for this Galilean and finally meets up with him. The song is done in as a recitative, which can be tricky, as they often fall flat. However, along with the haunting arrangement and the fact that Emmylou emotes such strong emotions even with spoken words, she manages to be completely convincing as a male character, and the song works brilliantly on every level. She shows her soulful side on another standout, "Thanks To You," a slow, sultry spiritual. "I Hear A Call" is classic Emmylou Harris, a lovely, reflective acoustic ballad. The album's title comes from the stellar closing track "Ballad Of The Runaway Horse." Emmylou delivers her most aching and lovely vocals on this mournful and hauntingly beautiful ballad full of western imagery, where the lyrics frequently morph back and forth into different meanings.

Cowgirl's Prayer is one of Emmylou Harris' most emotionally honest and best interpretive recordings of her career, and matches the diversity and intensity of her earliest work. The songs are beautifully and uniquely arranged, showcasing the beauty, diversity and quiet strength of her voice, showing why Emmylou is one of the genre's most enduring and respected talents.