During the 2000s, few R&B singers were put through the industry ringer like Sunshine Anderson. Her debut reached the Top Five of the Billboard 200, yet she fell victim to a label merger, a shelved album, and a severely delayed (but ultimately released) follow-up that was not given much of a promotional push. She also went through enough personal troubles to fill a novel. Invigorated by motherhood and a deal through Verve Forecast, Anderson’s third album is produced almost entirely by Mike City, who discovered her and remains an ideal musical match with his low-profile, nuanced sound. Anderson co-wrote three of the album’s highlights. “Life Back” is clearly autobiographical, too open and detailed -- and more matter-of-fact than embittered -- to be the least bit fabricated. The other two -- the album’s last two tracks, both of which are as seductive as anything else she has recorded -- further demonstrate that the singer has clearly moved past her troubles. While the album is not likely to make Anderson more popular than ever, it’s a triumph -- a fan-pleasing one, at that.
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