With her sultry yet powerful voice, evocative subject matter, and passionate delivery, it's surprising that Oakland singer/songwriter Goapele isn't right up there with Alicia Keys or Erykah Badu.

On her sophomore release, Even Closer, the dread-headed 26-year-old--whose name means "go forward" in Setswana--compiles a collection of songs so personal and honest that one almost feels intrusive listening to it. With lyrics like "So I'll walk to the shore and cry my tears in the ocean/I can see that looking in my eyes ain't enough/To bring you back no more," Goapele chooses words that are definitive enough to tell her intimate stories yet sufficiently abstract so that anyone with a soul can relate.

What contributes even further to the impact of her writing is her phenomenal voice. Goapele's singing is the strongest element of every tune, with the music there only to back her, as it should be.

A capable artist on her own, she also shines on collaborations. Teamed up with hip-hopper Pep Love of California's Hieroglyphics crew, she effortlessly overrides the bass-heavy beat on "Ease Your Mind". Later on, she does it again with Casual (also of the Hieroglyphics crew) and Zion I on "The Daze". While this passionate performer may not be a household name just yet, Goapele is, as her moniker suggests, undoubtedly going forward.