More than a decade into her solo career, Natacha Atlas has yet to make an acoustic album. Instead, she's made her name as the voice that floats beautifully atop a mish-mash of influences, electronic and world music primarily, that reflect her diverse heritage — born in Belgium, she is of Moroccan and Egyptian descent and currently calls England home.

Ana Hina, then, is a risk — with no bed of synths to hide behind, Atlas 'voice is front and center with little protection. She's clearly up to the challenge, though. Atlas carefully sings her way through "Black Is the Colour," a cover of none other than Nina Simone, with just a hint of melisma, while "Ana Hina" hearkens back to the Egyptian pop music of the '50s and '60s that she listened to as a youth. Perhaps she should go acoustic more often?