“It's also the most professional she’s ever been (perhaps not a coincidence), as she belts out these unapologetically anthemic numbers” ^STE “nearly all dripping with sensual lyrics and rousing rhythms.” ^SW She does it all “with a sense of finesse that’s suited to lifestyle newspaper pages, not rock & roll, thereby setting herself up for her bout with celebrity during the second half of the ‘90s.” ^STE

This all made the album “ideal breeding ground for a couple of career-enhancing music videos. The eerily possessive rock ballad Come to My Window hit the tube first with a bizarre twofold portrait of Etheridge and her guitar and actress Juliette Lewis having a nervous breakdown. This single brought the album into the public consciousness and was quickly followed by the similarly obsessive, slow-groovin’ I’m the Only One [actually the album’s lead single, but it first went to album rock stations] and the co-dependence-battling If I Wanted To.” ^SW

“But the album’s real strength is in the hidden gems untouched by MTV programmers. The slow-building Silent Legacy, the undulating blues scream Yes I Am, and the playful, acoustic Ruins are what make this album a whole.” ^SW

“The 1993 collection’s mercilessly driven, bluesy songs” ^SW “wouldn’t have been as convincing if it wasn’t so slick, though; her Springsteen-isms and Janis tributes are tempered by songs that work as album rock favorites, even if they aren’t as epic or passionate as their inspirations. She may not have songs as great as she did the first time out – ‘Bring Me Some Water’ remains her finest moment – but she has a sense of purpose and identity that suits her well.” ^STE