On crystal waters' debut album, Surprise, she demonstrated a talent for painting bleak inner-city pictures with pain-easing watercolors that smoothed the way for her occasionally harsh lyrics. Three years ago she became known for the "la da dee, la da dah" cadence on the dance hit "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)." On Storyteller, her follow-up album, such moves become a signature.

Storyteller offers a mix of soulful tracks surrounded by all-too-common dance stuff. Songs like "100% Pure Love," "Relax" and "What I Need" are pleasant enough but don't push Waters beyond where she has been before. Payday comes on tunes like "Ghetto Day" and "Regardless," driving throwbacks to '70s soul songs. Waters croons over a backbeat of choppy rhythm guitar and drums to evoke hot days on the streets.

"I Believe I Love You" lets listeners know that Waters has more to offer than her genre typically allows, as she raps, sings and grooves her way over swinging tracks. She's more of a singer than most rappers and more of a rapper than most singers and somehow carries this off while avoiding the bland middle.

The title track, a surprise ballad, shows that Waters can also be sexy. Her uncanny sense of when to fall into a groove and when to be restrained demonstrates her potential staying power. She won't disappear like so many dance divas if she finds the will to let herself rip. (RS 689)

MICHAEL WILSON