Log onto an India.Arie lyrics page and you won't come away expecting an easy-breezy listen--here's an artist, remember, who made a name for herself by declaring her disdain for silicone and Cristal on her 2001 debut. What's consistently a revelation for new recruits to the Arie camp, then, is how good the music makes you feel. No matter how heavy the subject matter (and it still gets heavy--God surfaces in the first verse of "Intro," the prayerful opening song), she delivers it in such a way that it ends up feeling like homespun wisdom--accessible, cloudless, and heartening. Testimony, no minor R&B/soul achievement, is full of such earth-mother moments: "The Heart of the Matter," a cover of the Don Henley song, is what a hug might sound like if it were music; "There's Hope" reminds tunefully that you don't have to pay to smile ("You better thank God for that"); "Private Party" points up the benefits of getting naked before a mirror and liking what you see (impossible as that sounds, it'll seem less so after listening); and "I Am Not My Hair," a sexy thumper featuring Akon, celebrates not the hair, not the skin, but "the soul that lives within." Musically, "Testament" is a testament to the benefits of branching out; in addition to gospel and hip-hop, you'll also find country and pure pop forays here. All of it works, and works wondrously. Arie may be the Oprah of the music world: she's spiritual, she's got her head screwed on straight, and whatever she touches turns to gold. Or at least it ought to. --Tammy La Gorce
