Every so often, a musical soul emerges from the underground with the inescapable talent, artistry and charisma that marks the arrival of a gathering storm. Pink Elephant is the third US album from N'dambi, a songwriter with emotional purpose and rare honesty. The striking vocalist, pianist and composer from Dallas, Texas, known for her signature afro and fiery style, possesses the intuitive perception and powerful creativity that ensures an essential contribution to modern R&B and soul.

Pink Elephant was recorded in Santa Monica, California, with producer Leon Sylvers III, whose credits include work for Shalamar, Blackstreet, Gladys Knight, The Whispers, Lakeside and many more. N'dambi insisted the record have a modern sheen yet adhere to the sturdy influence of classic R&B and soul artists like Slave, Heatwave, The Jacksons, Betty Davis, Isaac Hayes, Smokey Robinson, and The Sylvers. That led her to The Sylvers' famous producer, big brother, Leon.

The striking singer's storytelling skills are at peak form on Pink Elephant with tunes like the Rod Temperton, '80's hip hop flavored "Nobody Jones," the story of a girl with big dreams who won't let her humble beginnings stop her, and the delicious "L.I.E.," a tale of a man living a double life along New York's Long Island Expressway. Delusions of love spring up in the old school, love-gone-wrong melodic funk of "Daisy Chain"; "Ooo Baby," is the smooth-grooving tale of reconnection with a former lover; while the blues-inflected "Imitator," finds a young woman suffering over the collapse of her lover's promises. "You're not the man I used to know, you're an imitator," she sings on this mid-tempo urban gem. The hope of true love cries out in "The One," a disarming jazz-tinged ballad kissed with a touch of classic Stax.

"Mind Blowin'," a love song to the art and craft of music itself, features elements inspired by Isaac Hayes' 1974 classic blaxspoitation film Truck Turner, primarily channeling the supreme swagger those films represent. On Pink Elephant, N'dambi ingeniously distills soul-deep inspiration into a sensual style of elegance and power, making her a fundamental new addition to the Stax legacy.

the album's lead single "Can't Hardly Wait" is a biting chunk of scorching sarcasm, delivered in the commanding singer's rich tone. Her opening complaint, "I don't know why I keep f***in' wit you," perfectly expresses the inability to turn a listless love loose. She sings and performs her own drum beats on the irresistible "The World Is A Beat," a percussive and pointed lament about the current state of the music business. N'dambi's Pink Elephant, a masterpiece that layers her molasses-drenched vocals into cushy multi-part harmonies.