Deb. Heart broken

The Algeria-born Massi is sometimes referred to as the "Arabic Tracey Chapman"--but given her espousal of social and political issues, comparisons to dauntless advocates like Joan Baez, and especially, Israel's Chava Alberstein are far more apt. For her second album, the gently courageous singer applies her cool, sweet, preternaturally flexible voice and folk-influenced guitar to tales about love, parental concerns, and the universal longing for personal freedom. That she has made a serious study of the intricate, sensual Arab-Andalusian tradition is plainly audible in her compositions and arrangements, but sounds from the Indian subcontinent, French chanson, and American soft jazz have also seeped in. She is outspoken without rancor, passionate without disorder, and poetic without sentimentality--a beautiful woman with an aura of grace, intellect, and empathy, a modest yet arresting presence. In an age of loud-mouthed self-interest and garish overkill, she glows quietly, like a perfect pearl.