Kevin Bryan delivers his verdict on some of this week's CD releases.

Maya Rae,"Can You See Me?" (Black Hen Music)-This prodigiously gifted singer-songwriter began singing professionally in her native Canada at the tender age of just twelve. and five years later she found herself recording in Nashville with highly regarded roots music producer and Black Hen stablemate Steve Dawson and a hand picked assortment of the city's finest young session talent. "Can You See Me?" is the result , completed in the space of just five intense days and an essential purchase for all believers in the intrinsic power of a fine song passionately sung, , with "Mountain Angel," "I Get By "and the title tune emerging as the cream of a sweetly soulful crop.

Jerry Leger,"Time Out For Tomorrow" (Latent Recordings)- Prime practitioner of the finest Americana, Toronto born Jerry Leger unleashes his 12th album in 15 years on an unsuspecting world and the results are, as always, uniformly excellent. Mining the same rich vein of melodic country pop as our own criminally undervalued Nick Lowe,"Time Out For Tomorrow" was once again produced by fellow Canadian and Cowboy Junkies stalwart Michael Timmins and the finished product provides an impeccable vehicle for the laconic songwriter's art, peaking with the opening trio of tracks,"Canvas of Gold," "Justine" and"That Ain't Here."

John Blues Boyd,"Through My Eyes" (Gulf Coast Records)-Mississippi born bluesman John "Blues" Boyd may be well into his seventies now but his passionate committment to the music that he loves remains totally undimmed on the evidence presented by "Through My Eyes."The venerable vocalist's sterling efforts are expertly underpinned here by top notch players such as guitarist Kid Andersen and keyboards ace Jim Pugh as he reflects on a life well lived via visceral creations such as "Ran Me Out of Town" and "In My Blood."