By Brian Gilmore

Elbow room was at a premium, and the bar three deep, for Saturday’s showcase of a bright singer-songwriter—a radio-ready Kentucky girl (via the West Village) whose ten song set ranged from soaring to bittersweet and back again.

Rhodes, a finalist for American Idol’s songwriting competition in 2008, is an engaging presence, with a quick wit and quicker smile that nearly distracts from her grounding as a careful craftsman. Along with co-writer, guitarist and vocalist Hugh Colocott, himself no onstage slouch, the two have built an impressive collection of country pop songs, each written with an ear for the single. With Colocott taking the lead on one set highlight, “All I Want,” a brooding Mexican rocker that featured guest guitarist Noel Cohen, Rhodes carried sunny opener “We All Can Dream” and “Don’t,” a breakup ballad set in the moment just before the break. Together they’ve found a smart presentation for Rhodes’s blonde ambitions—and it’s a fool who bets against this sparkling talent.