While Carlene Carter has benefitted from her family name, she’s also forever been haunted by it. The surname surely jumped her to the front of the line for aspiring country singers, but then the expectation levels were always unfair, and Carter was left to struggle with the weight of it all. For 2014’s Carter Girl, she addresses the legacy head-on, recording 11 songs written by members of her family and one original that reflects on her grandparents’ days before stardom (“Me and the Wildwood Rose.”) She updates the classic “Lonesome Valley” to include the deaths of her mother, June Carter, and stepdad, Johnny Cash; Vince Gill steps in to share vocal duties. Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Elizabeth Cook make special appearances. But the true strength of the recording is in Don Was’ traditional-modern production. He brings in legendary rock-solid drummer Jim Keltner and pedal steel extraordinaire Greg Leisz to serve these songs fairly.