Working with noted producer and guitarist Michael Brook, British singer Julia Fordham released her fifth album (including the mini-LP Love Moves), East West, in 1997. Fordham wrote all of the record's ten tracks except for "I Can Tell You Anything," which she co-wrote with Simon Climie. Fordham possesses a gorgeous, dusky voice that is reminiscent of Joni Mitchell and Alison Moyet. The heartfelt lyrics, most of which deal with love lost, show a sense of vulnerability. The title cut is a lovely track featuring a cascading piano melody played by Brook and a hypnotic drum loop. "More Than I Can Bear," where Fordham is accompanied by piano only, is a heartbreaking tale of the realization that a former lover has indeed filled her place. Finally, "I Can Tell You Anything" adds some accordion into the mix of the irony-filled lyric. A gentle, lovely, articulate album.
© Tom Demalon /TiVo