Pop

** John Michael Montgomery, “Leave a Mark.” Atlantic. The only mark JMM leaves is a sticky smudge from his syrupy sentimentality. The Kentucky country hunk croons, “You can scare me with your darkness,” in one tune, but he doesn’t mean it--there’s no desperation, no paralyzing fears, no exultation from hard-won victories. Just easy promises of eternal sweetness and devotion.

*

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).