Sara Watkins's self-titled Nonesuch debut is out this week, and, says BBC's Sid Smith, this founding member of the genre-hopping band Nickel Creek "steps out with a confident stride with her debut solo release, preserving those broad tastes and good judgment [of her Nickel Creek days] when it comes to choosing a set."

Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, the album's producer, "ensures there's both fluency and muscularity across the board," according to Smith. For the reviewer, the selection of songs, too, evenly split among Sara's self-penned tunes and works by the likes of Tom Waits, Norman Blake, and Jimmie Rodgers, "underscores that Watkins is working with living, breathing music."

Smith describes the album as "an assured debut," displaying "an understated approach with no hints of showy grandstanding or cheap-shot appeal. Watkins' time in the spotlight is a triumph with her agile playing and the kind of voice that gives your goosebumps the shivers."

The review specifically cites Sara's own "Where Will You Be," the album's closing track, warning: "Prepare to have your jaw on the way to the floor with this one."

Sara will appear on a number of BBC Radio programs in the coming days, including BBC Radio 2's Bob Harris Country this Thursday, April 9, and BBC Radio 3's World on 3 session next Friday, April 17, as well as radio interviews on regional BBC stations in Leeds, Midlands, Humberside, Wales, Kent, and East Midlands. Check out bbc.co.uk for more information and to listen online.

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Scotland on Sunday's Norman Chalmers also references the album's eclectic mix when he writes that "she moves from Jimmie Rodgers to Tom Waits and really cuts it with her own songs, such as the heartfelt 'All This Time'." He continues: "Her fiddle swings, Western style, and intricately slips between the busy bluegrass banjos and mandolins in 'Jefferson', but it's her affectingly authentic voice that makes her such a superb example of the new Americana." Read more at scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com.

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The Financial Times gives the album three stars. The paper's pop critic Ludovic Hunter-Tilney cites Sara's "sweet voice" and picks as an album stand-out its second track, "Long Hot Summer Days," which "finds her singing old-time country with a distinctly Zeppelin twang to the bass." Read the review at ft.com.

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The Washington Post's arts and entertainment magazine Express Night Out has kind words for the songs on the album Sara penned herself. Writer Tony Sclafani says: "This self-titled effort shows Watkins writing convincing, authentic-sounding bluegrass-derived songs that hold their own with—or come off better than—the covers she performs." No small feat given the company in the latter category.

Sclafani cites the album's opening track, "All This Time" as proof that "that muse is fully evident ... where Watkins the composer gives Watkins the singer a wistful, bittersweet melody to wrap her vocal cords around."

As for having John Paul Jones at the helm, Sclafani says that "Jones' production is as laid back and unobtrusive as his stage presence was in Zeppelin. The British producer dispenses with the worst elements of crass American production techniques (massive compression, annoying vocal effects) and basically sees to it that the acoustic instruments and vocals blend and balance well."

Yet even with Jones producing and a host of "big names" offering their musical support, "The show really belongs to Watkins ... [whose] plain, unaffected vocals virtually always sound married to these songs; her performances are now in a league with the stylistically similar Allison Krauss (who produced Nickel Creek's Grammy-winning 2000 CD)."

Read the complete review at expressnightout.com.

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The Kansas City Star's Timothy Finn says Sara's "compositions mesh nicely with her covers," including "one of the stellar tracks, her gorgeous rendition of 'Pony' by Tom Waits."

Finn finds that John Paul Jones "applies a deft touch" as producer, "keeping things on the correct side of slick and contemporary." The reviewer says that together, "Watkins and Jones create the kind of old-time vibe ... rustic and piney with a touch of refinement—O, Brother with a thin coat of lacquer."

He doesn't doubt that Sara's solo debut will appeal both to Nickel Creek fans, who "will find much to enjoy here" and "also for anyone who likes the sound of a good singer and a good band hammering out good music. Nice record."

Read the review at kansascity.com.