Good or bad, life experiences make us who we are. For listeners of artists like Goapele, their life experiences make for good music. Critically acclaimed singer and songwriter Goapele has taken the life experiences of her past five-year hiatus and transformed them into musical amalgamation of R&B, soul, and blues. With her fourth release, Break of Dawn, Goapele is in a whole new place personally and musically. While her previous albums focused primarily on themes of social and political awareness, Break of Dawn focuses on the dynamics of personal relationships. Break of Dawn showcases Goapele's voice fuller and stronger than previously heard. For this album, Goapele chose to work with different producers and write with other songwriters which brings a whole different sound to the album. Each track follows as a different dimension of Goapele as an artist and individual. "Play", the album's stunner, is all woman - subtly sexy and blatantly sensual. On the track, Goapele coaxes a lover into the getting the lovegame started whispering over a throbbing beat. One of the more personal tracks, "Hush", is a lullaby to her young daughter where the singer emotes her expectations and frustrations as a mother. Goapele cites Prince as an influence and the funk and rock of the Purple One can be heard on "Money", a song about the most important things in life. Another highlight is the bluesy "Tears On My Pillow." "Right Here" is the most radio ready track on Break of Dawn and, while enjoyable, it doesn't sound unique for Goapele. The title track, "Break of Dawn", is a fitting definition for the tone of the album and Goapele's melodic voice is strong and confident. With only ten songs composing Break of Dawn, the songstress is getting straight to the point and making an explorative musical statement in the same vein as her previous albums but breaking the light on her artistry in a whole new way.