It is that time of year, and here is my tip for this year's stocking filler. Almost anyone you feel inclined to buy some music for this Yuletide is unlikely to be offended by the new Rumer album. Her spookily Karen Carpenter-like voice, those familiar Bacharach and David chord sequences: it is all stuff that gets up the nose of almost no-one and is really rather enjoyed by many.
This third album is billed as the true successor to debut Seasons Of My Soul, but who knows how much of its original material Rumer can take the real credit for? Producer and fiance Rob Shirakbari, who has MDed for Bacharach and Dionne Warwick, and song-writing partner Stephen Bishop surely deserve some dues.
But it would be nice to think that the Tracey Thorn-esque spikeyness in the lyrics to You Just Don't Know People, as well as the invitation Baby Come Back To Bed come from the lady herself. Those tracks, Play Your Guitar and the boldly uptempo dance-floor-aimed single Dangerous are the best of a set that falls away a little towards the end. But any record that rips off the ear-catching cadence from the Alessi Brother's O Lori can't be all bad.
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