Artist: Alison Krauss and Union Station

Title: Paper Airplane

Label: Rounder

Whether it's Lady Gaga, Katy Perry or the woman who inspired them both to a great degree—the queen of switching things up, Madonna—most pop artists are consistently on the hunt for the next big thing.

Sometimes it's an outlandish new look (meat dress, anyone?), or simply updating their sound by collaborating with someone new. Either way, it's a necessary ploy to keep the often-fickle masses entertained.

But every once in a while, there are artists who know to stick with what works through thick, thin and the next big trend. Case in point: Alison Krauss & Union Station with their new album, Paper Airplane.

Chock full of beautifully crafted (yet absolutely heart-wrenching) accounts of love and loss, anyone already familiar with Alison Krauss & Union Station's previous work will know precisely what to expect. But thanks to Krauss' pristine vocals and the synergy she has with her backing band, a been-there-done-that feel is actually music to everyone's ears.

Effectively bridging the gap between pop, rock, country, and roots music, Paper Airplane plays to the group's myriad of strengths. Whether it's the tender twangy ballad "Dimming of the Day," the haunting strains of "My Love Follows You Where You Go" or the sassy kiss-off to a former lover on "Sinking Stone," Paper Airplane is an absolute delight. 

If anything, Alison Krauss and Union Station takes the old adage of "there's nothing new under the sun" and make it a positive thing. After all, when a band is sticking with works and it still sounds this good, well, who's going to argue with the results? Certainly not this critic.

*This review first published 4/19/2011