After the 2011 album
The Light of the Sun,
Jill Scott advanced her acting career with roles in Steel Magnolias, Baggage Claim, and With This Ring. She also transferred her Blues Babe label from Warner Bros. to Atlantic and worked on her fifth proper studio album. A month ahead of its release, just after the second single reached the public, Hidden Beach just happened to issue
Golden Moments, a compilation of highlights from
Scott's "Words and Sounds" era. Should there be a second
Jill Scott anthology, several cuts from
Woman would make for obvious selections. The early singles -- a wailing update of
Jerry Ragovoy's deep gospel-soul composition "You Don't Know Nothing About Love" and the relaxed breakbeat-propelled resignation of "Fool's Gold" -- are among the high points. Third single "Closure," produced by
David Banner and
Andre "Dre" Harris with references to
Curtis Mayfield and
Larry Graham, is among
Scott's funkiest and funniest songs. The way she dismisses a lover -- she addresses him like a pet -- should be as remembered as any given line from "Gettin' in the Way." Other standouts are the result of smart pairings with younger talent. For the tranquil ballads "Lighthouse" and "Cruisin',"
Scott teams up with fellow Philadelphian
Andrew Wansel, the son of
Dexter Wansel, while the
9th Wonder-produced "Beautiful Love," full of snaking keyboard lines, is a duet with
BJ the Chicago Kid, too fine to be placed last on an hourlong album.
Woman is so varied that it resembles a compilation itself, albeit one that's scattered in both sound and quality. More than any other
Jill Scott album -- each one is either nearly or well over an hour in length -- its impact would likely deepen with some trimming and resequencing. Nonetheless, there's enough high-quality content to sustain
Scott's status as one of the most unique and powerful voices in R&B. ~ Andy Kellman