Goapele - Strong as Glass (2014)

Yet another pleasing, succinct album from Goapele, Strong as Glass is a little more energetic than the singer and songwriter's previous release, 2011's Break of Dawn. On "Hey Boy," she taps into the re-emergent sound of sophisticated early-'80s dancefloor R&B (akin to Change) with an unintrusive contribution from Snoop Dogg. "Perfect" and "My Love," the latter of which features Eric Benét, deal out sleeker contemporary sounds without drowning out the singer's voice. Only on "Powerful" does Goapele sound out of place, Auto-Tuned and surrounded by rat-a-tat drums and jarring robotic interjections. The deeply emotive ballads, more impressive than enjoyable, simmer. The slow jams -- "Insanity" and "Last Days" -- boil over.