OLETA ADAMS: "Evolution" (Fontana)

Female soul singers are ten-a-penny these days. They evoke, they emote, and they fake insincerity very well. Good, believable female soul singers are, however, a rare commodity, and when you come across one as accomplished as Oleta Adams it's more of a shock than a surprise.

Discovered by Roland Orz-something-or-other from the now defunct Tears For Fears in a Kansas nightclub five years ago, Oleta Adams has gone from being a cabaret crowd pleaser to a twice Grammy-nominated soul singer of the highest order. It's no small achievement on her part that in a short period of time, she's snapping at the high heels of Whitney Houston, Barbara Streisand, and Anita Baker. On the evidence contained on here, it's a wonder that she's still so far behind . . . Evolution should change that.