Still relatively unknown, Jill Scott is set to raise her profile significantly with this impressive debut which has already entered the charts in the US. A former backing vocalist and songwriter, Scott has collaborated with such acts as The Roots, Common and Will Smith.

She is often compared to Erykah Badu, and while they share the same breezy vocal style, Scott takes a more playful and adventurous approach on her album. The music is heavily jazz flavoured soul, the arrangements laid-back and often understated. Her vocals are superb throughout and she performs her songs as little stories, with spoken parts adding spark to the jazzy melodies.

The album is varied and the songs are multi-layered creations that sound better and better with each listening. Scott also injects a sense of humour into her seductive storytelling and tracks like 'Exclusively' and 'The Way' reveal a solid songwriting talent.

An unusually intelligent, classy and very

confident debut.