Watching You Think

iTunes Review

Produced by Leonard Cohen and Pierre Marchand (Sarah McLachlan), Watching You Think, the second album from Egyptian-Lebanese singer-songwriter, dancer and poet Neema, is an emotive tour de force. From her convincing cover of Dire Straits’ “Romeo and Juliet” to the intense social criticisms of the electric blues and Eastern drones of “Masi2010,” Neema is a first-rate recording artist who deserves her share of attention and acclaim. “Unspoken” begins things in the cabaret, but she soon branches out to other forms of song poetry where her tales expand under the auspices of unpretentious arrangements that protect the integrity of her complex works. She sings with a patented scratch in her voice that evokes memories of Melanie and Rod Stewart, but she is her own performer and songs such as “Running,” based on a recording in Neema’s living room expanded with strings in the studio, and “Escape,” written while living in Los Angeles, speak well for her own personal style. “Elsa’s Lullaby” is a sweet ballad to her dog.