Former porn queen. Proud bisexual. Plus sized mama with a plus sized voice. Candye Kane has never been shy about her size or her sexuality, projecting enough hard-won self esteem to make any self-help guru seem like a sideshow fraud. White Trash Girl, recorded in Texas with some of Kane's old friends, features a strong mix of naughty blues, torch ballads, and heartfelt love songs. Kane's powerful voice can batter like a storm and purr like a sex kitten. Spend an hour with her and you'll feel as though you could tell her all your troubles.

On the title cut, Kane proclaims she's the kind of woman who likes cheese from a can and wine from a box. Nothing fancy for her, thanks; she just wants a man who will treat her kindly. Or a woman would do just fine , too: "What Happened to the Girl," one of several tracks Kane wrote or co-wrote, is about yearning for someone who could have been a friend, but Kane is hardly thinking platonically about "Mistress Carmen" --- she just loves the way she dances.

Kane's backed by a fine cast of musicians, including bassist Preston Hubbard, drummer Damien Llanes, guitarist Jeff Ross, harmonica player Gary Primich, keyboardist Riley Osbourn and the Texas Horns, featuring Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff. If there's one thing wrong with White Trash Girl, it's that Kane overplays her outsider status. While "Work What You Got" is the ultimate salute to anyone who doesn't conform to Hollywood perfection, "Estrogen Bomb" and "Big Fat Mama's Are Back In Style" are too much of a good thing.

Still, Kane makes standards like "What a Day for a Daydream" her own and she even gets way with following her own "Masturbation Blues" with a sincere reading of the gospel song "Let There Be Peace On Earth." But she risks being pigeon-holed as a novelty act and that would be a shame. This White Trash Girl is pure treasure.