Soul food

For Tracy Chapman,unlike other singers and musicians,change has always remained constant.

Our Bright Future is impressive,although it offers little innovation

For Tracy Chapman,unlike other singers and musicians,change has always remained constant. It was almost 20 years ago when Chapman came out with her mushy debut album that made her an unexpected star overnight. Since,she hasnt made much progress in her style or her lyric-writing. Two decades on,she is still following a familiar path,offering well-executed,mid-tempo acoustic-oriented songs,deep-rooted in social justice,love and some other topics that are close to her heart. This does not mean that Chapman has taken the wrong route. Her song-writing is as sharp as ever and all the tracks on the new album are honest,simple and soulful.

She yet again sings about falling in love and being committed to your love,with some political commentary also thrown in for good measure,but her songs are as melodious as ever. The music can be tagged under the easy listening variety. Most of the songs on the album will give you a feeling of deja vu; but then theres no harm in continuing with something that you are already good at.

Story continues below this ad

The album has nine tracks that range from folk music to country.

Produced by Larry Klein,Our Bright Future doesnt sound retro at any point. What makes this album special is some supremely tasteful use of percussion and some delightful guitar strumming. The first song,Sing For You,is definitely Chapmans comeback number,where she sings for all her fans and well-wishers,and the song is deeply heartfelt. Her emotional intensity weighs heavily in Thinking of You,with its emotive lyrics. But this longest track in the album is also a good one to sing to when youre either introspecting or doing your household chores. Something to See and A Theory are mushy love songs which transport you into a world full of love and longing,something she does best.

What is really worth noticing is Chapmans ability to recognise her strengths,except in the number I did it all,where she taps on her weakness and sounds like a shrieking wild celebrity. Although it is peppy a far cry from her regular slow low tunes,it isnt executed well and lacks the character which might have made it an unforgettable number. Songs like For a Dream and Spring lack freshness and can be blamed for preventing this album from being listed in the timeless tunes category. Save us all is a song for the world,crying out for something to be done to ameliorate our lot and exhorting people to take action against all the ills plaguing our world.

It is one thing to improvise your strengths,but another thing to stick to your formula. Chapman has done the right thing by tapping her strengths and dishing out soulful songs,but the improvisation is definitely lacking,which might just hamper her future.

Our Bright Future
Rs 395

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:
Mumbai
music