After
Evans self-titled debut album in 1997 -- a pioneering neo-soul offering -- she was said to have retreated to Brazil, disillusioned with the music industry. Almost a decade later, she released
El Camino. The album has a few indicators of her time spent there, with the samba-influenced title track and "Blue Bird in Bahia," but, for the most part, the album stays in
Evans' and creative partner
Dred Scott's wheelhouse of hip-hop and jazz-influenced soul. Not much has changed about her sound in the ten years since
Evans' debut, with songs like "Undercover" and "Calling Me" easily able to melt into her debut's track list and vice-versa. Ultimately, this is well-crafted, easy, and enjoyable (albeit not challenging or ambitious) music. ~ Vincent Thomas