Tamia's sophomore effort begins with the singer's crisp, angelic voice a cappella, wrapped around a mournful interlude about a relationship gone awry. It's a gorgeous intro, and put there perhaps to remind listeners that the 24-year-old vocalist from Windsor, Canada, can sing like nobody's business when given the opportunity. Unfortunately, most of the tracks on A Nu Day deny Tamia the chance, with ho-hum, practically rote R&B fare produced, surprisingly, by some of the best in the biz. When Missy Elliott brings her production skills to the table on the album's first single, "Can't Go for That" (Elliott also produces four other cuts), it's as if the tune is running on automatic, with all of Elliott's stop-start, jerk-heavy rhythms running listlessly beneath a sample of the Hall and Oates song of the same name. "Tell Me Who," a collaboration with producer Shep Crawford, fares better, managing to capture a sassy, straight-up feel reminiscent of early En Vogue. The album offers a pleasant surprise, however, with a cover of the 1983 DeBarge tune, "Love Me in a Special Way," on which Tamia works wonders, her sonorous mezzo soprano digging soulfully into the soaring melody.