This is a great comeback album for Toni - textured, full, accessible yet not
pandering. It definitely sounds very modern without dilluting what she does
best. Toni has always taken a whole different road than any of out current
pop divas . When most of the other current divas converge on the same road,
Ms. Braxton always opts for the one not taken. When Celine, Mariah, and
Whitney were battling for who could reach the highest octave, Toni was
lowering her register, opting for a more subdued effect.

The album opens with her current single, " He wasn't man enough." While the

song has TOP 40 hit written all over it, i am somewhat underwhelmed by this

song : it is unnecessarily reminiscent of a TLC song; the video unremarkably
shadows the Monica/Brandy duet. The "overproduction" actually stops the song
cold. Why oh why do we need these overwhelming back-up voices that "cover"
Toni ? [ And yes, i know that Toni is one of the back-up voices ] These sort
of padding production value is vital to a voice like Jennifer Lopez, for
example, but for Toni it smacks of trying to play catch-up.

The album picks up quick with " The Heat," the album title track. Catchy and
inventive at the same time, this is a great vocal track : one that only Toni
can do. It shows how original Toni can be - the syncopated vocal nuances that
is almost her trademark style almost makes you not realize that the song
never went anywhere melody-wise. " Spanish Guitar " is one of the strongest
tracks in the album, Diane Warren composition notwithstanding :). With the
light flamenco touch, and her sultry vocals put to great use, this is one of
those cases where the term " latin explosion" can mean something else. With
the totally sexy Spanish bridge ( an unexpected pleasure ) she overlays the
simple melody to a complex state.

" Just be a man about it " is the answer if you ever wondered what Toni would
sound like if she had sung one of Mary J Blige's songs. Efffectively, wothout
losing her own identity, it seems. " Gimme Some " is another modern soul song
that has ferocity, and again those quick quipped Toni Braxton vocals elevate
a somewhat murky song. " I'm still breathing, " is the next prerequisite
Diane Warren ballad, and this one - originality wise - is a little less
effective than " Spanish Guitar, " but is more a safe bet for a ballad hit.
For my taste, it is a tad generic, but as usual Toni's vocal styling is
distinctive enough for you to take notice rather than snoozing.

" Fairy Tale " is my favortie track in the whole album -- it is old school
Toni, the one i fell in love with. This is one of those richly-layered
well-done tune by Babyface, the ones that he does excellently. I love how the
perfect marriage of vocals and melody takes you to different heights
throughout the song. An dramatic delivery that is not over dramatic. " The
Art of Love " is a perfect example of Toni's vocal originality : in this
track Toni just plays with her voice, no lyrics- one of those long interlude
in-between tracks.

Toni herself wrote the next track " Speaking in Tongues, " and shows
tremendous promise. While the song is not fully-rounded enough, it is
extremely listenable, and one gets a sense that Toni's honesty in the
delivery. ( Perhaps because these are her own words ? ) The next track,
"maybe " is also one of the strongest, with its Bone-Thugsish style, and
conversational and personal text, it highlights the vulnerability in Toni's
voice well. " youve been wrong " is literally a family affair -- Toni shares
vocal credits with the Braxton sisters as well as her sister Tamar. The mix
seems more of a dysfunctional family affair, though, I thought the whole
thing was disjointed and unfocused; even a bit gimmicky. Maybe too many hands
were involved ? The set closes with a whimper, bombastically, with " Never
for just a ring," yet this is one my treasured tracks. It is Toni showing
her best side on record : a showcase of her penchance to communicate
heartbreak in a most , well, heart-breaking way.

All in all, a really strong album - extremely personal in execution, yet
never really transparrently personal. ( Mariah Carey's ' Rainbow' was
transparrently personal, which turned off a lot of listeners IMO, therefore
diminishing its potential for appreciation ) I hope this puts Toni back in
the map, for she really deserves some attention. In this age of somewhat
run-of-the-mill singing, hers always comes out distinctive and original.

A little P.S. on teh booklet/art direction : The cover is sexy, and perfectly
conveys her message, but i was disheartened to see the lack of pictures
inside. Did LaFace skimp on the photography budget ? Her Thank You's are
particularly interesting : shows guts and honestly, and ultimately, a brevity
in accpting oneself.

- leonel