Unmistakable: Love

Art often reflects life, especially when life brings drastic changes like marriage and children. As expected, the spunky redhead trades her signature kiss-off tunes such as “Bye-Bye” and “That’s the Way” for soulful songs dedicated to love in all its forms. Love is shielding (“Hard Life”), life-changing (“Welcome to the Rest of My Life”) and long-lasting (“Always Have, Always Will”). The first in a trilogy of new material in six years, Jo Dee’s voice is still powerful, honest and evocative, especially on the power ballads “I Think About Us” and “Unmistakable.” Still, some tracks here lack the polish of her earlier hits. On “Treat Me Like a Woman Today,” Jo Dee hints that she hasn’t lost her sassiness, telling her man to step up his game. She may be in love, but Jo Dee hasn’t lost her honest songwriting or powerful pipes.