With The MF Life, Melanie Fiona threads the needle between R&B trends. There's atmospheric balladry like the hit single "4 a.m." and "I Been That Girl," a little bit of Auto-Tunin' via the T-Pain duet "6 a.m.," he-said-she-said rivalries with rappers such as Nas (who delivers an excellent verse on "Running"), the pop-rock gem "Watch Me Work," and retro-soul such as "Bones." Fiona pulls this diverse collection off with a consistently impressive performance that rivals Keyshia Cole in her heyday. These songs seem less like experiments than shades of a talented and multi-faceted artist.