Album Reviews

On her 18th album--and her first in eight years--Joan Armatrading offers a mostly light-hearted exploration of love and affection on Lover's Speak, a set of 14 melodic, hard-rocking, well-crafted songs. Whether leading with her husky, low-end growl or vulnerable, breathy falsetto, the 52-year-old veteran performer's distinctive voice remains remarkably supple--her mid-'70s power barely diminished by time.

Producing herself and playing most of the instruments, Armatrading is an artist in complete control. With the exception of the monumental, anthemic "In These Times," she keeps the tone breezy, mixing jazzy, uptempo syncopated electric and acoustic guitar riffs with conga-laden percussion on some tracks and drum-kit-driven, straight-ahead 4/4 time on others. Armatrading's sense of melodic flow has grown stronger and more confident over the years, as has her ability to craft catchy hooks.

While a few tracks (like the bouncy "Love Bug") are disappointingly facile and lightweight, most of them hit their intended targets with smart-bomb precision. The dramatic "In These Times," though written before 9/11, brilliantly encapsulates love in times of strife, and is the album's anchor. The title song (and album opener) sets the overall mood. It's a joyful examination of the special language and non-verbal communication developed between people in love. Though the song is sung in the first person, it is not autobiographical, as Armatrading told me in the interview you'll find on elsewhere on this site. "I want to learn the language of love," she repeats in the lilting, optimistic refrain.

"Are we ever gonna get together?" she sings in "Physical Pain," a song that contains many of the singer's proprietary brick-wall rhythmic ticks and melodic constructs. In her earlier days the song might have marched in place for three minutes, but here it modulates nicely and she plays an exquisite, fluid-toned electric lead worthy of George Harrison.

Armatrading's musicianship on this album is impressive both in terms of her musical versatility and her arranging skills. Listen to the sitar-like drone guitar part she plays on "Waiting," a song that could stand a slow, power-chord-heavy cover by some young-stud rock band. Another standout is the tender love song "Fire and Ice"--despite the somewhat cheesy '80s synth-string/Yamaha DX7 (or DX7-like) backdrop. It's another superb track that someone with a much bigger production budget should cover. Another standout suitable for covering is the melodic, straight-ahead, mid-tempo ballad "The Tender Trap."

Though this self-produced effort lacks both the slickness and sophisticated finish of some of Armatrading's high-budget recordings, the sheer ingenuity of the arrangements tends to compensate. Sometimes you'll think you're listening to demos, however. The digital recording is clean and not at all thin and bright, though it's somewhat sterile and starved for harmonic richness. Don't expect the awesome sonic power of Joan Armatrading, because you won't find it, but overall, the sound is cleanly rendered, well organized and detailed, with a solid bass foundation and a cleanly recorded Joan right in center stage.

What this disc demonstrates above all else is the vitality and commitment of a unique artist to her music and, more importantly, to the ideal of love. Keeping both alive after half a century is an impressive achievement. Lover's Speak is a heartfelt, affecting and superbly crafted Joan Armatrading album that will please longtime fans and first-timers alike.