Though small-scale in sound, The Ache of Possibility is an ambitious release that interweaves political commentary with expressions of love and optimism. On their third release together, Jenkins (a veteran singer/stage actress) and Rosen (an author as well as a skilled singer/guitarist) work in a relaxed acoustic jazz vein with folk and Off-Broadway overtones. The tunes here convey a Manhattan-style sophistication, embodied in Rosen’s literate, image-rich lyrics and Jenkins’ nuanced, slightly wistful delivery. The duo’s romantic numbers are smart and sexy, with the tender “A Lover’s Melody,” the billowing “I Want to Live to Love You” and the playful “I Need You” standing out among them. The album’s scathing yet hopeful title song and the wry “The Middle-Class (Used to Be) Blues” are protest tunes that carry real bite. The album also benefits from a brace of songs featuring lyrics by renowned poet Nikki Giovanni, among them “Don’t Hold Me Back” (an uplifting meditation set to a shimmering track) and “Choices” (a lightly bopping number about facing life’s limits).