In the Meantime- Reflection? Track by track?

[aleuzzi]

ITM is a great sleeper, a cool project we didn’t see coming. It got very mixed reviews when it first appeared—the usual Christine criticism: she’s great in the band but on her own a bit bland. Honestly, I did NOT agree this time out.

One of the obvious shortcomings of the 1984 record was its bid for wide commercial appeal. This went against much of what made Christine’s musical style so appealing. On that record, the standout tracks—“One in a Million” and “Smile I Live For”—capture two very different features of her musical identity: the earthy blues and the haunting ballad. Other than those tracks (and a couple of others slightly below them in quality) that solo record did not seem genuine to me. It felt calculated, and it suffered because of it.

By contrast, ITM emerged organically as a project that affirmed Christine’s desire to create music on her own terms. As a result, she sounds relaxed, and the musical environment of the record suits her perfectly. The ballads—“Calumny” and “Northern Star—might have been written by Dan Perfect but they “perfectly” suit her voice and attack. Likewise, the catchy, mid-tempo numbers—“So Sincere”, “Friend”, and “You Are”—have a quiet fire that simmers underneath the pop craftsmanship. But, for me anyway, the album’s best moments are the R&B-inflected numbers like “Anything is Possible,” “Bad Journey”, “Forgiveness” and the driving “Liar”. These songs show her at her sauciest. Top that with the lovely closer, “Giving it Back”, a tune worthy of The Eagles at their best, and you have a remarkable suite of songs that hangs together nicely.

My only complaint is that the acoustic version of “Friend” was not available on the disc as well. THAT arrangement of the tune is better than anything on the album!