I don’t know who’s writing for Goapele’s website, but if you go to the front page, you’ll encounter a quote that claims “Break of Dawn doesn’t linger on R&B’s lackluster clichés, it hypes you up, kicks you in the stomach, drives you to tears, and then reels you back in on a sunny Sunday morning…Break of Dawn is stepping out a bit. It’s less guarded, it’s sexy and it’s stadium-worthy.” Aside from this being just terrible writing, it really makes me wonder what they’re trying to accomplish, as it does a terrible disservice to Goapele. I realize that this is the Bay Area vocalist’s first album in five years, but I feel like the lines being released around Break of Dawn are setting her up to disappoint listeners, even though this album is perfectly enjoyable.

Goapele has a good voice, but it’s not a huge voice, and her music works on a more subtle level, so I’m not sure I’d want to see her in a stadium or festival setting. As far as kicking me in the stomach or hyping me up, the album is populated mostly with soulful ballads and slower songs, with a few midtempo grooves spicing things up, but with the exception of “Money,” I wouldn’t put this album on at a party. It’s odd thing to promising potential listeners, to say the least.

All of that aside, there is plenty to like about Break of Dawn. The album features some interesting production, such as the opening track, “Play,” which builds on a tense synthesizer line and simple snap rhythm, opening up the song for Goapele’s vocals, and she chooses some interesting melody lines and harmonies that really elevate the song. There are a few throwback soul/R&B ballads, such as “Tears On My Pillow,” “Undertow,” “Hush,” and “Pieces,” which she clearly has a great feel for, and they all come of effortlessly. The title track combines the new wave influences of someone like Hot Chip with a chorus that’s straight up early ‘90s dance music. It’s not her strongest work, but it’s still enjoyable. “Money” is hands down my favorite song on the album, but my love of Gamble and Huff, Beck, and post-punk all factor in here. Then again, it is also the one song on the record where she really lets loose with her vocals, and I have to say if there were a few more moments like that, I’d be talking about this album in a different tone. The only real slip-up on the album is a major one, which comes on “Right Here,” which sounds like some sort of terrible Rhianna-esque high school prom song. It doesn’t fit in the context of the album, and it just sounds incredibly forced and cheesy. Things close out strong, though, with “Milk & Honey,” produced by Bedrock, which builds on a melancholy synthesizer line and simple beat which opens up the song for some subtle and gentle vocals from Goapele.

Break of Dawn is a solid album from a talented singer, and it’s got a few high points that stand out. It probably won’t blow you away, but on an album mainly populated by traditional soul ballads, Goapele manages to spice things up enough to keep things interesting.