Personnel: Kristy Hawkins (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Colin Wolfe (guitar, Wurlitzer organ, keyboards, percussion, drum programming); John "Hot Fat Reynolds" Ferraro (guitar, drums); Ricky Tillo, Oliver Johnson (guitar); Chris Wood , Paul Cartwright, Andrea Deboer, Corey Gemmell, Norman Hathaway (violin); Nick Papadakis, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (viola); Jill Vitols, Peter Jacobson (cello); Bill Barrett, Scott Martin, Walter Davis (saxophone); Ron Blake , Sebastien Leger (trumpet); Francisco Torres (trombone); Clarence McDonald (piano); Anthony Brewster (organ); Jon Levine (Wurlitzer organ, keyboards, percussion, drum programming); Anthony Kilhoffer (keyboards, percussion, drum programming); Transcenders (keyboards, drum programming); Jorn Anderson (drums, percussion); Larnell Lewis, Michael White , Ricky Lawson (drums); Daniel Stone (percussion); John Burk, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth (programming, drum programming); Seth Presant (drum programming); Jans Lamberg, Adam Homberg, Eva Redpath, Ryan Whittal (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Jan Fairchild; Russell Elevado.

Recording information: 21 Music, Toronto, Canada; Beacon Street Studios, Venice, CA; Dave's Room, North Hollywood, CA; Metalworks, Mississauga, ON, Canada; The Village Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Track Record, North Hollywood, CA; Wellesley Sound, Toronto, Canada; White Lightning Studios, Sylmar, CA.

Photographer: Sarah V. Fletcher .

Smoky, world-flavored R&B dominates this debut long-player by Guyanese-Canadian singer Anjulie, whose 2008 single "Boom" delighted critics and inspired comparisons to Lauryn Hill and M.I.A. The album's second single, "Rain," is a similarly slinky number with a killer hook. "Love Songs" sounds like a prime Stevie Wonder track circa the mid-'70s, attesting to both bewitching vocal chops and solid songwriting skills.

Listen to any one track on Guyanese-Canadian singer/songwriter Anjulie's self-titled debut, and it appears easy to pigeonhole her, to call her the next artist "X." The only problem with that lazy categorization is that, on song after song, that "artist X" changes. Opening track and single "Boom" conjures up aughts genre-benders like Santigold; the song's a sultry masala of miscellaneous styles, throwing dark bossa nova, Morricone-esque flourishes, Bond themes, acid jazz, and an insanely catchy half-scat hook all into one boiling-over (and madly sexy) musical pot. "Boom" ends in a flash and her audience is cast into the fluttering, deliciously sugary pop soul of Nelly Furtado on the mournful, yet batty-eyed "Rain." Next, on "Some Dumb Girl," Anjulie channels Minnie Riperton at her most slinkily seductive, on a steamy piece of throwback '70s Philly soul-disco pop. And on and on it goes, on an alluring coming out of a record as hints of Laura Nyro, Regina Spektor, Beyonc‚, and even Ben Folds sneak into the chilled mix. Anjulie is produced by her songwriting partner Jon Levine, ex-Philosopher Kings, the underappreciated '90s alternative soulsters whose ultra-slick R&B went down like silken chocolate, and the LP's smooth sound certainly echoes that of his old mates. While the record's not without its rough patches, dully derivative moments, and false notes ("Fatal Attraction" gets a bit silly with its tacked-on breathy hook), Anjulie is quite impressive as an opening salvo from a talented musical collagist whose minor flurry of hype is well-warranted. ~ Jason Thurston

CMJ - "[O]ptimistic, catchy tracks....Anjulie shows her lyrical talent on 'Same Damn Thing,' which she and Jon Levine co-wrote."