Joan Armatrading

This reissue of Joan Armatrading's all but unnoticed 1995 RCA debut is welcome as a way of reconsidering a solid, sweeping, elegant, and heartbreaking album that should have made a mark because it proved beyond any doubt that Armatrading was, as she remains in 2003, a viable, profound songwriter capable of offering striking, imagistic portraits of complex emotional terrain. Produced by David Tickle and Armatrading, the cast of players includes everyone from the Kronos Quartet ("Shapes and Sizes") to Benmont Tench, Tony Levin, Alex Acuña, Manu Katche, the Memphis Horns ("Can't Stop Loving You"), and the London Metropolitan Orchestra's string section, with Armatrading holding down the guitar chair with aplomb. "Merchant of Love," "Everyday Boy," and "Recommend My Love" are the finest songs here, but there's not a weak one in this weighty bunch. The Denon reissue comes with a bonus DVD that contains the videos for "Everyday Boy" and "Recommend My Love." This is a must for fans, and highly recommended as pop music for anyone confused by the vagaries of love in the 21st century. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide