Rise and Fall is the New Jersey-born, New Orleans-based artist's seventh album, and her first collection of original compositions in four years. The emotion-charged new set marks a reinvention for the artist, while reaffirming the creative strengths that have already won her a fiercely loyal fan base. Rise and Fall's soul-baring songcraft and impassioned performances are the product of an extended period during which the artist experienced a series of major life changes. "These songs are the product of the last few years of my life, which were pretty heavy," she explains. "My father died. My marriage ended. I moved from Brooklyn to New Orleans. I had a couple years of wild oat-sowing, and then I found a grand new love. There's been a lot to think about and a lot to write about, and all of that is in these songs."