Kaci Brown is a talented young Texas-born singer-songwriter who is currently getting a lot of exposure as the opening act on Backstreet Boys tours. On her debut CD, INSTIGATOR, she explores a variety of musical styles with perky energy and competent vocal performances.

Still in her teens, Kaci has yet to define her style as she gleefully bounces from one track to another, exploring hip-hop beats, Middle-Eastern rhythms, rock guitar fills, waltz interludes, and slow-ballad emoting. Her lyrics are mildly sexy ("I'm a trouble maker/One boy, Two boys, Three boys...if he's cute then I'll take the waiter," she sings on the title track) with a lot of reliance on heavy breathing. But there are also some attempts at depth. "Unbelievable" explores the ambivalence of a girl in an abusive relationship; "Cadillac Hotel" begins with a hint of an attempt at social consciousness.

It will be interesting to see how this young artist's career and talents develop as she matures. Until then, INSTIGATOR is a capable-enough debut effort, showing the promise that Kaci Brown's talents may even grow to surpass those of Jessica Simpson, an artist to whom she's often compared. We're betting on Kaci.