By Janice C. Simpson

THE BOTTOM LINE: On her own for the first time, she shows that daughters too have their day.

Their down-home harmony made the Judds one of the most popular groups in country music, selling more than 10 million records. Daughter Wynonna sang most of the main vocals, while mother Naomi took the lead in other departments, writing many of their songs and crafting their image as good ole gals with just the right touch of glamour. So when hepatitis forced Naomi to retire last year, fans wondered if Wynonna could make it alone. They can stop worrying. In her debut solo album, Mama's little girl does just fine.

Wynonna, 27, is clearly determined to show that she can be her own woman. She mostly eschews harmonies for single-line vocals and, as in her album title, even distances herself from her surname. She also traded Brent Maher, the longtime architect of the Judds' distinctive sound, for veteran producer Tony Brown. The singer starts off on the right foot with her opening cut, What It Takes, a funky declaration of independence that boasts, "I wanna ride the rails on my own roller coaster/ I'm gonna do just what it takes to keep this smile on my face."

Longtime fans will feel at home with traditional ballads like She Is His Only Need, already No. 1 on the country-singles chart. But the most delightful tracks are the swaggering honky-tonk tunes like A Little Bit of Love (Goes a Long, Long Way), where Wynonna moves boldly into Bonnie Raitt territory.

Wynonna hasn't totally untied Mama's apron strings. Naomi co-wrote one of the tracks and can be heard harmonizing on another. And, poignantly, at least two of the songs are testimonials to the difficulties of leaving Mom and home. "It ain't easy to ever say goodbye/ It ain't easy letting go of the ones you love," croons the nostalgic daughter. Nevertheless, Wynonna is out there by her lonesome, with an album in the stores and a 100-concert tour under way. Who says a fledgling can't soar?