Tracy Chapman. - Brief Article - Review - sound recording review

Telling Stories (Elektra)

Tracy Chapman's resonant baritone sounds like she cannot tell a lie. Apparently, she doesn't make an album until she's got something to say, as its been five years since her platinum-plus New Beginning. Intimate and personal, Telling Stories feels like a diary written under a blanket by torchlight. Studded with sage lines to pander, like "money's only paper, only ink," the music of Telling Stories grows out of the poetry. Yet often it slow-builds into waves of hooks, especially on "Speak the Word" and "First Try."

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