Israeli singer Meira Asher has earned a reputation for her unflinching songs of protest that focus on subject matter ranging from incest to Middle Eastern politics, often combining traditional music and scripture with contemporary settings. Having studied percussion and dance in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, Asher has also worked in music therapy for autistic children and taught percussion in several universities in Israel. Her self-produced debut, 1997's Dissected, introduced listeners to her style and subject matter, setting the table for the follow-up. Released two years later, Spears Into Hooks focused on the Israel/Palestine issue and was even more caustic, stripping away some of the world music of her previous effort in an attempt to create an electronic opera that combined spoken word and chants with the edgy music. ~ Tom Demalon