Baca's soulful singing commands such attention that her stellar backing band, which includes organ player John Medeski and avant-garde axman Marc Ribot, seems to disappear during her most emotionally charged moments. At other times, however, Baca's players seize control, indulging in percussion solos and spotlighting Medeski's jazzy drone and Ribot's confrontational clang. Despite this accomplished instrumentation, the album suffers when the magnetic Baca vanishes for significant stretches. On "The Anchor Song," the Björk cover that closes the record, these dual elements find an ideal compromise; Baca sings sweetly with little accompaniment, then her group responds with mood-setting strings that appear with each downbeat. "Ese es mi hogar," she coos, sounding so comfortable with this arrangement that her meaning ("This is my home") comes through with startling clarity.