''Even Closer'' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter

Goapele Goapele Mohlabane (; born July 11, 1977), is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter. Her name means ''to move forward'' in Setswana, a Southern African language. Early life Goapele's South African father Douglas Mohlabane was an exiled pol ...

. It is essentially an expanded version of her self-released debut album, '' Closer'' (2001). Originally released in 2002, it was re-released in 2004.

Critical reception

Todd Kristel of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

gave the album 3 stars out of 5, commenting that it treads "a thin line between appealingly eclectic and insufficiently cohesive". Mark Anthony Neal of ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' said: "Nothing on Goapele's ''Even Closer'' is likely to ever be an MTV buzzclip, but throughout her debut she exhibits striking vocals and solid song writing skills, suggesting that she will be a figure that will be heard from again and again, likely outlasting many of her neo-soul peers and some of the independent labels they record for." Meanwhile, Cheryl Thompson of ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'' commented that " heonly problem with the album is the one tone Goapele maintains throughout; each track on its own is conceivably thought-provoking, a testament to Goapele's writing abilities but as a commercial package it lacks a certain positive transgression into the realm of something new."

Track listing

Charts

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2002 albums Goapele albums Barely Breaking Even albums Columbia Records albums