Firebrand blues, roots, rock, and soul vocalist and multi-instrumentalist has endured her fair share of life changes since the release of her sophomore solo outing . Forged in the crucible of divorce (from bandmate ), marriage (to and producer ), and motherhood (she gave birth to a baby boy in 2018), the 11-track feels hard-won but remarkably sanguine. It helps that have dialed back some of the slick AOR pop sheen that made so divisive. Personal upheaval can often have a grounding effect, and sees attempting to recover some of the bar-band swagger that marked her work with the while keeping an eye on the pop charts. The saucy "Love Is Love" sets a warm, tube-driven tone, framing 's smoky croon against a slow-burning, -inspired groove. The fiery "On My Way" follows suit, but cranks up the tempo with a thumping "Jumping Jack Flash" back beat. Both tracks are fine, but cracks the code on the mid-album stunner "Release," which ditches the bells and whistles in favor of a simple piano and vocal arrangement that plays to all of her strengths. Four of the songs feature backing vocals from , both from Brooklyn-bred indie pop quartet , and they add some sweet, gospel-ish textures to soulful workouts like "Back to Me" and "Desire," but works best when is steering the ship. Even with the considerable and seasoned talents of , alum , and keyboardists behind her, commands the room. ~ James Christopher Monger