Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

At the instigation of Danish producer Rune Westberg, this release sees a more tempered and honest performance from Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Beth Hart in contrast to the hard rock mentality of previous albums. With Westberg's stipulation that every song "mattered" and Hart's history of alcohol and drug problems as a reference point, this collection of self-penned numbers are no less loaded with passion as Hart spills out her hurt and anger at the world, God and herself with the trademark whiskey-soaked vocal style that has become her much lauded trademark. Hart covers a range of personal subjects such as abusive relationships ("Bad Love Is Good Enough"), depression ("Happiness...Any Day Now") and family regrets ("Weight Of The World") whilst the moving tribute to the singer's late sibling "Sister Heroine" - featuring Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash - is the pinnacle of the album and documents the hurt drug abuse creates for not only the victim but also those left behind. In terms of her relationship with her Creator, Hart once again wears her heart on her sleeve by mistakenly suggesting in the title track that God will forget her name whilst "Like You (And Everyone Else)" is a refreshingly candid telling of the struggles of faith. Elsewhere, the edgy "Drive" - a song about "good sex after a good fight and getting back at the bitch who tried to steal my man", as Hart explains in the sleevenotes - indicates that God's not quite finished with her yet as she herself confesses in the song of submission "Take It Easy On Me". Although this is not the most musically innovative of releases with Hart and Westberg choosing a more formulaic soft rock approach to proceedings, any change of style represents a creative and commercial gamble and this is one that has largely paid off for this intriguing artist.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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