"We're all often judged by the company we keep. In the case of singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Beth Hart, she's often found near high-wattage guitar players like Joe Bonamassa and Jeff Beck. But on War in My Mind, she shows off the intensity of her voice, which was never a well-kept secret, and some ferocious piano-playing in an album that's got a strong pop orientation but is also firmly rooted in the blues ... The album is produced by Rob Cavallo, who's worked with everyone from Green Day to the Goo Goo Dolls. It's a fantastic pairing. Cavallo's pop sensibility pulls a lot of new and interesting sounds out of Hart. She was always a strong performer and songwriter, but here she's completely untethered to genres and seems to be writing without any preconceived notions about what the song should sound like"