Three years after the great eclectic and "Bang bang boom boom 'and its nostalgic escapades with the great Joe Bonamassa, Beth Hart returns with a rather calm album. Exit California and Kevin Shirley and "hello NYC" where she recorded this disc with studio musicians and new producers. The musicians are entirely at the service of original compositions and voice of the singer. No shadow of a solo keyboard or guitar on these compositions rather slow and languorous sometimes flirt with folk wadding Tracy Chapman (Better then Home, St Theresa, Mechanical heart). Only 3 songs are just excited and only the excellent "Trouble" and thunderous intro can be described bluesrock. The ballad is certainly not unfamiliar terrain for Beth but a favored land that gave birth to his best pieces (LA Song, Leave the light on..etc ...). And we know that on stage it is never more admirable than one piano whispering us one of his languid composed. In any form is perfect, the songs do not stretch, it's often pretty, pleasant to listen to and sometimes touching (Mechanical heart, Mama ...) without over-instrumentation with some rather discrete brass and strings. However, they are sometimes a bit boring confessions Beth ..... musically there are no surprises. The lyrics are far from poetic ("I got up this morning with a smile on my face ...."). She sings very well and recording showcases his voice, even though I still regret this annoying vibrato that seemed a bit lost in the last disk (even the guitar gets going here!). Like the latest installment of his buddy Joe Bonamassa who offers us a hackneyed blues, there are no surprises for the listener and it smells a bit of mothballs. Why insipid songs like "Tell her you belong to me" that could have been saved in the same way in 1955? I find it a shame that the musicians of this level and of this reputation, which already no longer have much to prove also take few musical risks. We certainly do not ask them to do progressive rock but still surprising us, to marvel at moments of grace, perhaps by rhythmic breaks, harmonic destructuring or instrumental flights as too short passage from "We're still living in the city. " None of this, unfortunately, song, certainly intimate and peaceful but musically brings nothing exciting to the listener. These two Americans, excellent musicians, showmen, may be trapped in the patterns of the standardized American song. Are they afraid of displeasing formatted and traditionalist public, or worse brilliant or inspired enough to tickle a little more pleasantly ears? The old songwriter John Hiatt is much more inspired and exciting in its last discs! Good bet that on stage, his arena, Beth will still make us shudder and Jon send us beautiful solos with his Gibson!