Since the arrival of onto the scene back in 1997 with , commercial music stood up and took notice with an onslaught of similar artists reaching comparable peaks of mainstream success. After taking some time off for introspection and to raise her son, returned with , which is a turning point for her in many ways. Gone are the cryptic "Baduizms" that glossed all over her first release, replaced with a more honestly raw singing directly from her heart rather than her head. Sonically, wades out into adventurous territories as well. From the -inspired opening number to the closing ten-minute song suite, she develops fresh aspects of her sound, employing artists such as legendary vibraphonist , trumpeter , and drummer ; she sought after producer as well. The results are consistently tasteful, which only helps to prove once again that is miles ahead of the rest. ~ Rob Theakston