JULIA FORDHAM
That's Life (Vanguard)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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Producer Larry Klein takes his third turn at the helm of a Julia Fordham album and they've forged an amazing partnership. It's a Martin/Beatles kind of thing, a partnership greater than its parts, as great as they may be, with Klein providing the perfect setting and the random perfect accent to Fordham's sweet, soulful voice and finely crafted songs. The result of their extending partnership is Julia Fordham's best album yet, and that's no small thing.

It's moments like the transition from the groove of "Jacob's Ladder," with flourishes of Stax/Volt horns, into the folksy balladry of "Perfect Me" and onward to the gospel organ backing on the perfect pop of the debut single, "Jump," that can make your head snap in astonishment at what this partnership has accomplished, at how good an album can be, at the completely inexplicable failure of Julia Fordham to sit atop every chart for many weeks every time she puts an album on the streets.

Oh, did I mention that it's sweet and sexy and soulful and stunning?

I guess I did.

Track List:

Sugar * Jacob's Ladder * Perfect Me * Jump * Downhill Sunday * Walking On The Water * Connecting * That's Life * I'm Sorry But.... * Guilty

© 2004 - Shaun Dale