Following the commercial success of her last two albums, Tracy Chapman was able to make an album with total artistic freedom. She used it to create her sixth album, the quiet, sincere “Let it Rain.”
Chapman released “Let it Rain” on the Elektra records label Oct. 15. The album continues to feature her deep vocals and the heartfelt lyrics fans will recognize from the last five albums.
Overall, the album seems to focus on pain and suffering. The mellow acoustic guitar sound accompanies Chapman’s characteristic alto voice singing of death or a love that’s no good for her.
“Let It Rain” does feature songs like “Say Hallelujah” that seem to break the album’s mournful pattern. With an upbeat tempo and the sounds of hands clapping, it seems like it could be at gospel concert. The song brings a happy, hopeful ring to lyrics about death.
“I like her style. I like the beats and the way that she sings here songs,” said Sherell Brown, a marketing junior. “I like the more upbeat ones like ‘Say Hallelujah.’ She makes death seem a whole lot nicer.”
Chapman also takes a stab at the mainstream and its commercialization of the world with a song like “Hard Wired.” Chapman sings about how the world has encroached too far into the minds of people.
“Your wants, desires, needs and wishes will be duly noted, processed, filed and catalogued, labeled and encoded, turned into sitcom dialogue and advertising slogans,” Chapman sings in “Hard Wired.” “We’ve got a box to put in your brain hard wired for downloading all the secrets and the mysteries you’ve been selfishly withholding.”
Chapman’s hit single, “Fast Cars” from her debut album in 1988, and more recently the hit “Give Me One Reason” made her famous. However, this album does not contain one catchy song meant for the radio. Instead, it is filled with the deep, folk sound that Chapman’s fans appreciate.
“Tracy Chapman seems like a jazzy type of girl. I really like her voice,” said Bryan Slauson, a human resources sophomore. “She’s got that kind of deep alto voice that just sounds beautiful.”
Chapman not only sings but uses her singing to support a range of social causes. She performed in multiple concerts to support Amnesty International and was part of the Beastie Boys’ Tibetan Freedom Festival along with many performers.
This album exemplifies what Chapman can do. It has a deep, rich, mellow sound that can relax listeners, but also contains thought-provoking lyrics. It is sure to please fans of her last five albums.
As of right now, Chapman has set dates for her European tour in early spring with promises of U.S. tour dates coming soon. For more information or to hear some tracks from the new album, visit the Elektra Records’ Web site at www.elektra.com.