If has trouble breaking from the world into the big leagues, she could no doubt thrive as a songwriter for , whose inspiration informs 's vocal style, guitar approach, and attitude. 's producers often add a lot of slickness and polish, while scores points by keeping things slightly more raw. is romantic at its best, but goes beyond this at times, thinking globally on more than a few occasions. is a global unity message set to a blend of and Irish jig rhythms. a colorful tribute to the place where humanity first reared its head, has a South African rolling guitar vibe; it would be better sung than spoken, but 's message is what counts -- all music derives from the same basic spiritual and human source. While is a solid songwriter, she's also a clever interpreter of standards ranging from to by . ~ Jonathan Widran