She really blew a valve on her last solo effort, 2010's Humour and the Misfortune of Others, a terrific, fiery, angry record that seemed to be overlooked by the many fans who had taken to the torch-soul comforts of her 2007 debut album Long Player in a big way.
Now, after some sideline excursions (one impressively experimental with Mara TK; one forgettably dull with a winery tour supergroup of her, Anika Moa and Boh Runga), Smith finally unleashes a third solo outing.
And for all of the fraught recording process as outlined in last week's TimeOut interview, it appears a bit of deadline fever has done Smith good.
From the opening reggae-rock punch of the title track to the closing caress of the lullaby-soul Dream, this is an album that sounds like Smith is running on first - and best - instincts.