Sadness is etched in Faith Evans's smoky vocals, an underpinning of regret and the blues that gives her a vulnerability and realness that's compelling. That hint of heartache is perfectly suited for love-lost midtempo ballads, like her 1995 hit "You Used to Love Me," and in many ways Evans (once married to the late Notorious B.I.G.) is a modern-day torch singer. Yet like Mary J. Blige, her sister in sorrow, Evans has added more uptempo rhythm to her moody mix, as evidenced by the thumping first single off her third CD.
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