Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 11/11/2008
For
Tracy Chapman, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Twenty years after her self-titled debut made her an unexpected overnight star,
Chapman's music has changed remarkably little, and while it would be unfair to say she's revealed no stylistic growth since her first album, two decades on she's still following a remarkably similar path, offering well-crafted, midtempo acoustic-oriented songs rooted deep in issues of social justice and matters of the heart on her eighth album,
Our Bright Future. Produced by
Larry Klein, best known for his work with
Joni Mitchell,
Our Bright Future doesn't sound retro quite so much as it seems to have appeared by magic from some time warp linking
Chapman to the early '70s, complete with
Steve Gadd delivering supremely tasteful drumming and
Dean Parks doing the same on guitar. With the exception of the sly
"I Did It All," in which
Chapman assumes the voice of some wild-child celebrity celebrating her paparazzi-worthy exploits,
Our Bright Future covers the thematic territory you'd expect from
Chapman -- the universality of faith against the factionalism of religion (
"Save Us All"), the folly of war (
"Our Bright Future"), the struggle to overcome cynicism in a culture gone wrong (
"Thinking of You"), the longing for a better world (
"Something to See"), and the sweet solace of love (
"A Theory").
Chapman's songs are both heartfelt and literate, as they've always been, and the production and arrangements are free of clutter, allowing her subtle but passionate vocals to take the center stage without strain. The craft of
Our Bright Future is impressive and
Chapman's talents are as clearly evident as ever, but unfortunately this album offers precious little in the way of anything fresh or unexpected from this artist. There's a fine line between doing what you do best and simply following formula, and
Our Bright Future finds
Chapman leaning too far towards the bad side of that equation for her own good.
~Mark Deming, All Music Guide
;)
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