At 16, Sierra Hull has a confidence and command of the mandolin that eludes players easily twice her age. Like her friend and mentor Alison Krauss, Hull fits the concept of “child prodigy” perfectly, gifted from the get go with a musical understanding that must’ve begun sometime in the womb.

In her early teens Hull was on the road with Krauss and Union Station, along with her mother and brother. She recorded her first album at the ripe old age of 10, performed at the Grand Ole Opry shortly thereafter, won scads of awards at bluegrass festivals, and on Secrets finds herself in the company of players like Jerry Douglas, Ron Block, Dan Tyminski and Tony Rice, to name a few.

Ron Block’s lush and warm production gives Secrets a modern sheen, and Hull’s affinity for the kind of forward thinking “crossover” bluegrass of players like Krauss, Alison Brown and another group of virtuosi, Nickel Creek, is immediately apparent. Lest anyone get the impression that the instrumental firepower is carried mostly by the stellar cast of sidemen and guests on Secrets, just cue up the Hull penned instrumental “Hullarious,” which highlights her supple picking on both mandolin and lead guitar. The knuckle busting melody that carries the tune is your first hint that you’re not listening to just any wunderkind — this one can hold her own with the best, and has an ear for unexpected melodic twists that make her solos not just impressive, but inventive. Cory Walker’s mile-a-minute banjo break isn’t so bad, either.

Fiddler Jim Van Cleve lends his instrumental “Smashville” to the proceedings, letting Hull take the opening melody and solo before a series of fantastic breaks from Ron Block on banjo, guitarist Clay Hess and Van Cleve himself. Hearing Hull’s mandolin doubling the twisting melody with the fiddle is a treat, and her rippling fills towards the song’s end make for some real inspiration to put in more practice time on whatever instrument you might play.

Secrets isn’t just about burning instrumentals, though. Hull is gifted with a marvelous voice as well, as evidenced by the title track. The always sublime Dobro picking of Jerry Douglas weaves between the verses, and Dan Tyminski and Ron Block’s harmony vocals bolster Hull’s lead beautifully. The playful “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” features Tony Rice on guitar (what, no lead?) but again gives ample playing room to all involved, with Hull’s leaping lead break the highlight. “Pretend” spins a tale of two friends debating whether to take the next step in love, and stands out amongst the other tunes in its almost bluesy feel and super crossover friendly production- and yeah, another tasteful and melodic solo from Hull.

“That’s All I Can Say” steps back into a more straight ahead bluegrass vein, with plenty of high and lonesome vocal work from Hull and Block, and a sparkling solo from Tony Rice. “The Hard Way” is a lilting piece of heartbroken pop-country that digs into the realities of a couple’s choice to walk away or keep going, and here Sierra Hull’s potential to astound instrumentally isn’t the star; vocally she can get you right in the chest when she wants to.

Sierra Hull seems poised to make a huge impact on the modern bluegrass scene. She’s a gifted player and singer, and one thing that may very well set her apart from the other barn burning virtuosi is an element that usually doesn’t become apparent until much later in a musician’s career — and that’s taste. As stunning as her playing often is, she keeps it grounded in melody, which — come to think of it — is another trait that eludes many players twice her age. Gosh darn kids.

(Chris Cooper can be reached at thumbpick43@yahoo.com)