After winning acclaim in the Christian music world, Julie Miller crossed over into the alt-country realm in the 1990s. Blue Pony is among the best of her releases from this period, filled with the hard-won insights and melancholy reveries that distinguish her work. Miller’s songs never present faith as an easy thing to maintain — here, she tells stories of battered losers and wavering believers faced with the heartaches of everyday life. Husband Buddy Miller (a much-praised recording artist in his own right) places Miller’s fragile but evocative vocals in Appalachian-tinged acoustic settings, leaving the edges pleasingly rough. Blue Pony’s raw-boned musicianship highlights the struggles in its lyrics. Songs like “A Kiss On The Lips” and “By Way Of Sorrow” squarely face the temptations of the world, while the title track invokes childhood innocence. Miller shows particular affinity for wounded souls; “All The Pieces Of Mary” captures the swirling madness of a troubled mind. Balancing such tracks are deeply-felt prayers like “I Call On You” and “Last Song.”