Personnel includes: Jennifer Love Hewitt (vocals); Meredith Brooks (vocals, acoustic & electric guitar); Goldo (vocals, keyboards, programming); Emerson Swinford (acoustic guitar); David Darling (guitar); Livingstone Brown (keyboards, bass, programming); Michael Parnell (keyboards); Glen Holmen (bass); Abraham Laboriel, Jr., Russ Miller (drums); Alex Gregg (programming); Andrew Boston (DJ); Windy Wagner, Rose Stone, Sharon Perry, Carolyn Perry, Darlene Perry (background vocals).

Recorded at Glenwood Place Studios, Burbank, California; The Village Recorder, West Los Angeles, California; Can-Am Recorders, Tarzana, California.

Personnel: Jennifer Love Hewitt (background vocals); Goldo (vocals, keyboards, programming); Livingstone Brown (chant, keyboards, programming); Emerson Swinford (guitar, acoustic guitar); Dustin Boyer (guitar); Meredith Brooks (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals); Michael Parnell (keyboards); Abe Laboriel, Jr. (drums); Dave Darling (programming); Carolyn Perry, Rose Stone, Darlene Perry, Sharon Perry (background vocals).

DJ: Andrew Boston.

Audio Mixers: Livingstone Brown; Richard Travali; Brad Haehnel.

Recording information: Can-AM Recorders, Tarzana, CA; Glenwood Place Studios, Burbank, CA; The Village recorder, West Los Angeles, CA.

Photographer: Anthony Mandler.

Arrangers: Dustin Boyer; Chris Canute.

You may know her best as TV's Sarah Reeves, but even during Jennifer Love Hewitt's mid-'90s heyday as a fixture on Party Of Five, she was cutting albums on the side. Despite being signed by Jive, (home of Britney and much of the bubblegum brigade), Hewitt enlisted more mature singer-songwriter Meredith Brooks to produce BARENAKED, her third American album. Together, Brooks and Hewitt turned out a record that allows the actress-turned-vocalist to cut loose minus any trite arrangements. With this kind of freedom, Hewitt shows an unexpectedly expert grasp of genres, dabbling in R&B ("Stand In Your Way"), gospel-flavored workouts featuring tight string arrangements ("Stronger"), and anthemic pop ("First Time").

Brooks's production also infuses modest loops and hip-hop-flavored beats into other fare including the poignant ballad "You" and sassy "I Know You Will." Aside from a subtly suggestive album cover, the only other thing BARENAKED about this 2002 Jennifer Love Hewitt release is a virtually a capella cover of "Me And Bobby McGee" that is a testament to the young actress-singer's unheralded vocal range.