Deana Carter has always been the most successful when she was given the most freedom. And she's never had as much room to be herself and to do things as she wished as on The Story of My Life, her first album since moving to Los Angeles and signing with Vanguard Records. "I got tears in my eyes the first time I listened back to the final version of this record," Carter says. "All I could think was, finally I got to make a record exactly the way I would if it was left totally up to me. There was no input from record companies or producers or anyone. Frankly, it's what I wanted to do from the start. I followed my instincts this time 100 percent, and it was an awesome experience."

Sounds like it, too. Open-hearted and vulnerable, yet full of wit and mischief, The Story of My Life is the sound of a true artist — one with a distinct voice, lyrical ideas and musical style. "I like for there to be a couple of moments on an album where someone says, 'Did she just say what I think she did?' I love that. If I get to do what I want to do, like I did on this record, then there's going to be some surprises."