Outside of her relatively small but loyal following, the United States has not seen much of Sinéad O’Connor over the past decade, though she has continued to release albums and perform. Despite having a massive hit with the Prince-penned “Nothing Compares 2 U,” she is remembered equally for the controversy she generated with her infamous appearance on Saturday Night Live and her refusal to have the national anthem played before a concert in New Jersey.

The intervening years have clearly led to a more mellow Sinéad O’Connor, but that does not mean she is any less ardent or passionate in her beliefs. During her performance last night at The Music Center at Strathmore, she did not resort to anger and rebellion to make her point. Instead, O’Connor called on her sense of vulnerability, femininity, and spirituality as tools in making a social critique and political statement that were unflinching, but also tender.

Sporting her trademark crewcut and wearing a simple black suit with a white shirt, O’Connor’s voice is a bit more dry and rough than it used to be, but it is still a fine instrument. Though she was at ease enough to joke with the audience between songs, she still does not appear comfortable on stage. But her lyrics are delivered with such honesty and sincerity that one overlooks any awkwardness. Her performance was skillfully enhanced by her backing band, whose instrumentation consisted of guitar, bass, drums, electric violin, and a keyboard/woodwind player.