Someday My Blues Will Cover the Earth
The change in direction whichSomeday My Blues Will Cover  the Earthembodies may have been a gradual one forHis Name Is Alive,  but it may still come as a shock (although hopefully a pleasant one)  for fans of the one-timeCocteau  Twins-influenced art rockers. This beautifully crafted album is essentially a  showcase for the sensuous and hypnotic vocals of gospel singer Lovetta  Pippen. But equally, it shows off for the production work of Warn  Defever. From the muted R&B; backing of the "Write My Name in the  Groove" to the crackling gramophone-filtered jazz of "Solitude," Warn  perfectly builds on the drama and atmosphere within each heartfelt  track. "One Year," with its funky bassline and infectious lyrics, is a  great pop track, sounding not dissimilar to the Sugababes, but the  lyrics ("if you had a year to live") still stick closely to the blues  project that dominates the album.Someday My Blues Will Cover the  Earthmay have been 10 years in the making, but as this  breathtaking collection of blues-influenced soul, jazz, and modern R&B;  demonstrates, good things come to those who wait.--Caroline  Butler