NOTE: Soft sleeve album cover. About the music.... It takes nerve to break through to another level of artistry, to strip down your defenses to reveal the personal and honest, to let go of the pretense and shake off preconceived notions. And damn -- has N'dambi got nerve! On this collection of straight-no-chaser aural snapshots, the acclaimed singer-songwriter with the soul-soaked voice peels off the layers to share who she truly is. By liberating herself, she reveals who each of us can be: A Weird Kinda Wonderful, as the title of her new CD proclaims. "We are all creatures unlike any other, individual," explains the artist of the title. "We have our own experiences, our own idiosyncrasies, and all these things that shape us and make us one of a kind. So in a way it's like describing those little things about me that stand out and make me exactly who I am." However weird the Dallas native may feel, the wonderful still shines through on this adventurous new album. She does it with her soulful vocal instrument, rock-chick attitude, pop songcraft, and playful bravado. Her insightful lyrics offer human revelations, while the melodies and tight arrangements recall not only vintage soul, but some of the first forays into the black rock realm, when electric mamas like Joyce Kennedy of Mother's Finest and Sandra St. Victor of the Family Stand first staked out their territory. Lyrically and melodically N'dambi lays claim to her own stylistic turf, all in the name of female empowerment.