Versatility is the buzzword on this release from statuesque newcomer Eartha Moore. Groomed significantly at Marvin Winans’ Perfecting Church in Detroit and mentored by Dr. Iona Locke, the LA-based Moore does it all. Going beyond the fine tradition of singer/songwriter, she also does the arrangements, keys and sax. But back to that singing.

Moore nurses a soulful, rootsy contralto and almost verges on folksy at times through the disk’s fourteen tracks, and is very obviously focused on lyrical expression. Cuts like “Vision” offer encouragement and hope, based on scripture. Praise is given on the slower “Shekinah Glory”.

Some of the bumpier selections (“He Knows”, “A Natural Thing”) bring a fresh vibe. These might be better served with a live rhythm track, as the programmed beats often don’t measure up to the smoky vibe that Moore generates with her vocals. Given her artistic phrasing, that extra ingredient might just cause some major musical spillage.

Perhaps the killer cut on the project is the unlikely-titled "Love Jones". Moore's husky sounds highlight this opening track, which is an sparsely-melodic love song to Jesus laid over a syncopation-riddled groove. Check the ink: