D'ici et d'ailleurs

Born in France of Algerian parents, Soha has a bit of a love affair with R&B and dancehall, but with just enough of a twist (apart from the fact that she sings in French) to make it obvious these aren't American productions. She can summon up sultry beats and emotion on "Ma Mélancolie" or "Mon Rêve à Moi" — in fact it seems her forte — but there are touches of reggae coloring "Heureuse," while "On Ne Saura Jamais" starts out as hip-hop-inflected R&B before taking a very odd left turn into dancehall midsong (and then going back). She has a gentle, teasing voice that's kittenish at times, but ultimately, like much of her material, not especially memorable. That, ultimately, is its problem. This is a pleasant enough album, and there's nothing wrong with it at all — it's just forgettable.