By JACK BERNHARDT, Correspondent
At the 2003 Merlefest in Wilkesboro, Florida folk singer Adrienne Young won first place in the bluegrass songwriting competition with "Little Sadie." The song became the name of her band, and her first CD, "Plow to the End of the Row," earned a Grammy nomination for its package design: It included a pack of garden seeds.

Now comes "The Art of Virtue" (Addiebelle), a 15-track poetic delight that finds inspiration in Benjamin Franklin's "Thirteen Virtues," his tract on how to build character and moral development.

Young wrote or co-wrote nine of the songs, which extol moral values of a personal, rather than political, kind. Grounded in traditional music and performed by a versatile string band, Young's music incorporates old-time fiddle tunes, bluegrass, Irish, Cajun, country and contemporary folk styles in an album that is inventive, fresh and inviting.

Young's brilliant blend of message and tune reminds us that goodness is a choice, even in a world bloodied by war and sullied by greed. With fiddle and banjo wide open in a melody similar to "Arkansas Traveler," she states her case on the snappy title track: "I'd like to learn some moderation / Know just when enough's enough / Meditate on being tranquil / Injure none and bear no grudge."

While exposing her own flaws, Young shows the way, but she doesn't preach. In "My Sin Is Pride," she confesses to allowing a relationship to end when she might have turned it around. "It's All the Same" takes an honest look at America's past. With "Wedding Ring," a tongue-in-cheek Cajun stomp, she shows a wry sense of humor: "I went downtown to the jewelry store / Just a window shopping, that's all / Lady asked me what I was lookin' for / I said 'a fella 'bout six feet tall.' "

If "The Art of Virtue" is judged by what's inside the cover, it should be one of the year's most celebrated albums.