Most of us are familiar with Tracy Chapman's two biggest hits: the soulful "Gimme One Reason" and the evocative "Fast Car." Seasoned Chapman listeners, however, know that's only the beginning of the variety she brings to the table. Chapman's music incorporates soul, folk and African influences, among others. She has used violins, African drums, the harp and the electronic sitar, and she has sung a cappella. It's this variety that makes Chapman's music original, intriguing and real.

Chapman's latest, "Where You Live," is grossly substandard compared to her usual variety and quality. She seems to have chosen one comfort zone and stuck with it for all 11 songs, rendering the music less powerful. Very rarely does anything jump out as original or interesting, which is an aberration of her musical norm.

Almost every song on the album is either downright slow or at a mid-tempo pace that is not fast enough to move to. However, slow pacing in and of itself is not the problem; rather, it is that the songs all sound so similar. They all use almost identical instrumentation, including the same steady, militant drumming. This can often create an earthy, introspective effect, but when it saturates the entire album, it becomes boring and ineffective. It is hard to tell where one song ends and the next begins. This album begs for a change of pace, for someone to spice things up and say, "Hey, Tracy, wanna sing those lyrics to a melody with a bit more conviction?"

Furthermore, the songs lack hooks; the listener is not particularly drawn in by anything, nor is he or she tempted to sing along, listen intently, laugh or cry. This does a gross injustice to Chapman's beautiful voice, which has such potential for emotional expression. Instead, it feels as if Chapman and her songs are removed from the rest of us.

On average, the album's lyrics are decent but not Chapman's best. One of the most striking is the line "Bullies laugh and grin and beat / Your soft skin against / The cold concrete." However, a few are simple or clichéd, like: "Don't dwell on the past / Love that was lost and didn't last / That summer bloom is fading fast / But I'm falling for you."

"America," the album's only up-tempo song, is excellent. It's propelled by forceful drumming, African backup vocals, a catchy melody and powerful lyrics. "Before Easter" sets itself apart with its almost demonic harmonic sound, and "Taken" lets the guitar take more of a central role than it does in other songs, which makes for a nice change. Ultimately, though, only "America" stands out as exceptional.

This album would be excellent for those low-key moments in which you want background music for reading or homework; it would also be a good choice for when you want to revel in a serious mood. However, if you want the best of Chapman, invest in "Tracy Chapman," "New Beginning" or "Telling Stories." Unfortunately, "Where You Live" is just not worth its price.