Artist: Carpenters
Album: Close to You
Year: 1970
Carpenters were the duo of Richard and Karen Carpenter. They became one of the 1970's best selling artists with their somewhat jazzy AM-radio ready pop.
And what an album this is! It's a surprisingly varied set of songs, with forays into light jazz, country, close harmony, and more--but everything seems to work remarkably well. There are classic songs sprinkled throughout here, and many others that could've reached that status if given the chance. The title track, "We've Only Just Begun," and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" were hits here, but I'd say the gentle piano ballad "Maybe It's You" is just as good, despite its somewhat schmaltzy lyrics. What carries these songs is the absolutely gorgeous voice of Karen Carpenter, who takes these songs to the next level.
This is what you get when you cross The Mamas & The Papas sunshine pop with Laura Nyro's Brill Building tunesmithery...and the results are slick and stunning. Thumbs up!
Rating: Worth repeated listens
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