Tracy Chapman has a bit of a problem - her eponymous debut album was so successful (critically and commercially) that everything else she's produced in the subsequent 14 years has seemed disappointing by comparison. Let It Rain may well suffer the same fate - but that shouldn't disguise the fact that it's her strongest effort for years, and deserves to give her career a much-needed boost. The Cleveland folk-rocker has a reputation for anger, but here she's settled on a calmer and more reflective style of songwriting that suits her new-found maturity very well. The production, meanwhile, is tastefully sparse, bringing her soulful voice and striking lyrics well to the fore. Whether she's singing about sexual curiosity, the pain of bereavement or the horrors of reality TV, Chapman generally has something intelligent to say - and she says it with a sense of total conviction that can't help but draw the listener in. True, the general air of worthiness gets a bit oppressive at times, and by no stretch of the imagination could Let It Rain be called the most exciting album ever made. It does, however, reaffirm Chapman as one of the most thoughtful singer-songwriters in America today, and a voice that deserves to be heard more often.
