IN BRIEF
The wholesome, almost prim image of the Carpenters always contrasted sharply with Karen’s richly emotional, warm alto. On this never-released 1979 solo album (about half of which has appeared on various compilations), she tackled a range of material suited to her voice, from woeful ballads to sexually suggestive disco. Not all of it works, but the country-tinged “All Because of You” and the shimmering, power-poppy “Making Love in the Afternoon” demonstrate the singer’s underutilized versatility.
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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).
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