The Beth Hart Band's 1996 debut, Immortal, went largely unnoticed, save for the few converts who snapped it up after they caught Hart's incendiary live performances. Hart's memorable Joplin-esque vocals and honest songs permeate this sincere but uneven outing. The song "Run," where Hart invokes the quirky, sensitive spirits of both Tori Amos and Joni Mitchell is a winner, and the assured, sexy vocals and ringing guitars of "Spiders in My Bed" fare much better than the overproduced and overwrought "Hold Me Through the Night." Hart's reflective lyrics and musical emotions are best conveyed via the less-slick material on this dozen-song CD, such as the Heart-like ballad "Summer Is Gone," or the dynamic, whisper-to-a-scream of the title track. Hart's passionate but primal vocals are at their zenith on "Am I the One," which is pure, sultry, and bluesy--more timeless than vintage. --Katherine Turman