"Run into the light/though it may burn/you will see/that it can surely set you free" And so begins Maya Azucena's third album, Cry Love, a musical battle cry-bolder and bigger than her first two albums Maya Who?! and Junkyard Jewel. Azucena's sound is reminiscent of Jill Scott and Heather Headley, but their similarity is not to be mistaken for dull; Azucena can hold her own. On Cry Love, Azucena pairs conscious lyricism and raw soul and R&B production making Cry Love a soaring collection of social awareness and smooth grooves. The title track carries provocative lyrics of mankind's use and abuse of love over a beat that makes you both bop your head and think. Azucena (who sang with Stephen Marley on his Grammy Award winning album Mind Control) takes a little reggae influence on an interesting pairing of sound and lyricism on "My Back's Not Up Against The Wall". On the track, Azucena declares her strength over breezy horns and drums. My personal favorite on the album is "Near", a salsa-flavored contemporary R&B track where Azucena's offers dependence upon her friendship and love. The rawness and strength of Azucena's voice is ever present throughout the album-it's no wonder she is most known for her live performances. Cry Love provides a little taste of her live experience on "The Half". Her voice is powerful and sometimes overpowering like on the song "Live On". Cry Love is a solid album but it is reaching to really grasp the enormity of Azucena's voice against the album's production. Overall, Cry Love's tone is of strength, growth, and understanding and that is highlighted by it's star-Azucena's voice-and we hear you, sister...we hear you.