nikka costa

After a three-year hiatus, soulful funk crooner Nikka Costa finds success with her fourth-and best-release yet, Pebble to a Pearl. Released on her own Go Funk Yourself Records, the record is saturated with songs of love, hope and authority. Though the tracks are weakened by their monotonous beats and styles, Costa's fourth effort nudges her out of the shadow of more popular contemporaries such as Amy Winehouse and Joss Stone.

The first single, "Stuck to You," is the album's most instantly satisfying song. Even with a simple, repetitive beat, the track achieves its full potential through Costa's sassy lyrics and high-energy vocals. With clever remarks such as, "If you a sin, I'd be your mercy/If you the beat, I'd be the moves/If you the tree, I'd be the roots," it's hard not to fall in love. On the same note, "Can't Please Everybody" is an equally catchy stand-up-for-yourself anthem with a Motown twist.

The oddball of the album, "Bullets in the Sky," is also its high point, as the song ventures away from Costa's comfortable territory. Punctuated with syncopated beats and electronic chords, the politically minded song has great build up. Unfortunately, it is the only one of its kind on the disc.

After the initial gloss wears off, the songs in Pebble to a Pearl begin to bleed together and could benefit from a more diverse repertoire of styles and lyrics. Despite the lack of variation, Costa's latest still provides a solid handful of pop gold, sure to add a glimmer of sunshine to any lackluster day.