This follow-up to Zara McFarlane's critically acclaimed, MOBO award-nominated debut Until Tomorrow (2011) is beautifully crafted and brilliantly performed, and sees the vocalist's storytelling gifts coming into ever sharper focus. Eight of the eleven songs are self-penned, including the atmospheric leadoff ‘Open Heart’, driven by double bass and hang drum; ‘Her Eyes’, which pays homage to the strong black women in Zara's life; and one of the album's standouts, ‘Woman In The Olive Groves’, which plays with different perspectives in a similar way to ‘Mama Done’ on the debut. The album's three covers are beautifully contrasted. Serving to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence in 2012, Zara's imaginative reworking of the Junior Murvin/Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry classic, ‘Police and Thieves’, clothes the melody in entirely new harmonies. In another nod to Jamaica, Nora Dean's cult dub song ‘Angie La La’ sees Zara joined by New Yorker Leron Thomas on trumpet and vocals in a super deluxe arrangement. Fine work here by harpist Rachel Gladwin too. Made famous by Nina Simone, and stripped back here to just vocals and bass, ‘Plain Gold Ring’ is as emotionally engaging as it is texturally transparent.