Carly Simon - This Kind Of Love

Almost a modern Manhattan musical

On her first full album of original material for eight years, the urbane Simon still concerns herself with the uptown confessionals that have marked out her best work, but with a Brazilian twist. Samba rhythms snake their way through many songs like a subtle cocktail party chatter backdrop to the Gershwin-isms of the lyrics.

Sophistication is the byword on a series of understated aural soundscapes, largely thanks to co-producer Jimmy Webb. Indeed, This Kind Of Love often comes across as a Webb-infused Broadway play: Island attempts to soothe the pain of Carly’s own daughter’s failed romance, Sangre Dolce tells of an Argentine woman in New York forced to leave her child behind in Buenos Aires, while the bold People Say A Lot is probably the whitest rap you’ll ever hear, augmented by sampled dialogue from Anne Baxter in All About Eve.

Simon’s voice has taken on a smokier timbre with age, giving the impression of a narrator rich in wisdom and life lessons. Clearly one of the most personal records of her career, it’s a masterclass in elegance and honesty.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

Hear Music/Universal | tbc

Reviewed by Terry Staunton
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