Five Point Plan attracted substantial attention in its native San Francisco before extending its reach beyond the California Bay Area during the early-2000s neo-soul movement. The group, highlighted by lead vocalist Latrice Barnett, fit well alongside its neo-soul contemporaries such as Angie Stone and Macy Gray. Unlike the predominantly solo female singer/songwriters associated with the style, however, Five Point Plan is a group; though highlighted by Barnett's sultry femininity, the group also includes Jordan Glasgow (keyboards), Tim Carter (drums, percussion), Michael Cruz (bass, background vocals), and David Metzner (guitar). Five Point Plan released its self-titled debut album in 1999. The album didn't go far beyond San Francisco, but did win quite a bit of praise in the local area, including write-ups by the SF Weekly, Gavin, and Keyboard. When the group returned with its 2002 follow-up, Rare, the neo-soul movement had reached full blossom. Unsurprisingly, the group aimed to associate itself with similar yet more successful acts despite being on Kobi Records, a small indie label. ~ Jason Birchmeier