An Other Cup (CD - 2006)

After 28 years away from the secular music world, Yusuf, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens, returned with this strong folk-pop album in 2006. Echoes of his older work abound here--the spiritual lyrics, the rich, resonant vocals, the lovely descending guitar-picking patterns, and the emotional choruses that thrust themselves like starbursts out of elegant, chamber-pop verses.

And while songs like "Maybe There's a World" and a remake of his classic "I Think I See the Light" will comfort old admirers, Yusuf also takes some chances with unusual material. "Whispers from a Spiritual Garden" is a sparse instrumental featuring a vaguely Middle Eastern melody and a bowed, droning bass, with a brief passage of Rumi poetry. A cover of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" shows a newly flinty, if melodramatic, side to the artist. The album-opener, "Midday," percolates gently with a laid-back vocal flowing sweetly over a calypso rhythm. This thoughtful, well-made record may not attract legions of new fans, but it is a welcome addition to the Cat Stevens canon. minimize