Sweet tone aside, Susan Boyle's is not the voice of experience

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The myth of Susan Boyle promises something deep and reassuring: "Looks don't matter," it insists. "It's what's inside that counts."

But would the world have fallen so hard for the singer had she been just another blandly pretty face, rather than a dramatically plain one? Weren't looks, again, a central issue here?

The questions gain fresh focus with the release of her first CD. Listening to it gives us the luxury of hearing Boyle without the distraction of seeing her. Finally, we can separate the performance from the performer.

Ironically, the result once again inverts our assumptions.

On the surface, Boyle proves an attractive star. She has a bell-like tone, ample lung power and fine diction.