The title doesn't refer strictly to its maker. MOBO-nominated jazz producer, songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist
Zara McFarlane: "This album is dedicated to all the strong, beautiful women who have touched my life with their strength, courage, empathy, humour, wisdom & love." Those women seem to have had the greatest effect on
McFarlane originals like the burning ballad "Woman in the Olive Groves" and the particularly gorgeous "Her Eyes," in which
McFarlane's breezy melodies resemble those of '70s
Stevie Wonder. Some of the arrangements are stripped to bare essentials. Those happen to occur during the album's most emotionally vulnerable moments. "Open Heart" begins the album in arresting style with hypnotic hang drums, a low double-bass thrum, and
McFarlane's wounded, wise vocals. On "You'll Get Me in Trouble,"
McFarlane accompanies herself on barely strummed acoustic guitar: "It's too late, my heart's already seen your smile." While the eight originals could form a rich 35-minute album, the three non-originals here stun, too. There's a bewitching "Plain Gold Ring" closer to restrained
Nina Simone than showy
Kimbra, a version of
Junior Murvin's "Police & Thieves" that makes like a missing ice-and-fire cut off
Dee Dee Bridgewater's
Afro Blue, and top standout "Angie La La" (aka "Ay Ay Ay Ay"), barely recognizable. The last of the trio, originally written and produced by reggae giant
Duke Reid for
Nora Dean, is converted into a dancing and feverish duet -- anchored by
Gavin Barras' double bass and enlivened by
Rachel Gladwin's harp -- with an excellent pairing in trumpeter and vocalist
Leron Thomas. As with
Until Tomorrow,
McFarlane produced the whole thing -- an understated yet dazzling second album that is more imaginative than the impressive first.