Girl buys Alanis. Girl buys Bjork. Girl meets producer. Girl tries it herself. Oops-- fumble.

Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Esthero is a female singer who splits the balance between Bjork and Alanis, which would seem to be a commercially viable place to visit. But that doesn't mean you'd want to live there. According to Esthero's label, these songs are supposed to be a long dialogue back and forth from track to track. But if Breath From Another is a conversation, there are a few too many people talking.

The album is sprawling, mixing hip-hop, trip-hop, electronica, vibes, soul, rock, and jazz vocals. Unfortunately, it's too much. By the time the scratching kicks in, you're completely exhausted. For example, the record's title track and opener brings a James Bond-age flavor, with the obligatory rapping and scratching on top. "That Girl" mixes a string section, an acoustic guitar, sound effects, and a trumpet, all before the cookie- cutter beats start. Also, there isn't much variance from song to song on the melody tip, and instrumentally the songs remain the same: overblown.

-Lang Whitaker