Tracy Chapman Smartly Updated Her Approach on ‘Our Bright Future’

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At this point, unbelievably, it had been a full two decades since Tracy Chapman first burst into the scene with her classic debut. Tracy Chapman proved that there was still an appetite out there for artists brandishing an acoustic guitar and a bundle of superb self-penned folk songs.

Chapman beat the long odds she faced in the slick, synthesized 1980s with simple but unforgettable melodies and direct lyrics about the dichotomy of hope and despair. Her fuss-free approach connected with listeners whether it was the quiet desolation of “Fast Cars” from her 1988 self-titled album or the surprising straight blues of “Give Me One Reason” seven years later.

By the time Our Bright Future arrived on November 11 2008, she was marking 20 years as a recording artist. In keeping, her eighth effort resolutely followed the same winning narrative formula established long before. Tracy Chapman stuck close to her sturdy template of no-nonsense, socially conscientious lyrics. The one aspect that separated Our Bright Future from prior efforts is the production. This time, Chapman turned to Larry Klein, fresh from helping Walter Becker produce his Circus Money album and earning a Grammy for Herbie Hancock’s River: The Joni Letters.

Selecting Klein to produce (with Chapman co-producing) was a logical choice, and for reasons that go beyond Klein’s recent surge in star power. Larry Klein earlier oversaw several albums for another major female folk singer-songwriter in ex-wife Joni Mitchell. And this wasn’t the first time Klein had worked with Chapman; he played bass on that seminal first album.

No Tracy Chapman record could ever be accused of being weighed down by overwrought production, but Klein went the extra mile to make Chapman’s music organic and warm. Compared to her then-most recent release – 2005’s Where You Live, which was still fairly rootsy under Tchad Blake’s production – Our Bright Future’s ambience delved even further into the past. It was laden with hand-made percussion, minimal backing vocals, and ensembles kept small: Even Chapman herself can be heard counting off at the beginning of some of songs. Indeed, Klein kept Chapman close to her coffeehouse beginnings.

At the same time, he brought in some big name session players to support her. Preeminent drummer Steve Gadd and organist Larry Goldings were borrowed from James Taylor’s touring band; the studio lineup was rounded out by Dean Parks on guitars and Klein himself on bass. Other tracks used younger session stars in Joey Waronker (drums), Rob Burger (keyboards) and Joe Gore (guitars), while Klein stayed on bass. These musicians never threatened to take any spotlight from Chapman, but when you listen closely, you find they are making good songs even better. In spite of using two different sets of personnel, the album stayed cohesive under Chapman and Klein’s direction.

As is so often the case with Tracy Chapman, many of the tracks presented here were deceptively simple, and the soul of the album revealed itself over several listens. At the same time, some of her songs songs tend to hit the bullseye right from the start. With Our Bright Future, it happened early on: “Sing For You” was an utterly sunny, singable ditty reminiscing about serenading radio songs to a loved one. Chapman even added wordless “doo-doo-doo’s” that along with a pump organ emphasize the easygoing flow of the track.

Chapman also dealt with matters of the heart with the contemplative “Thinking of You,” and the gentle country-soul of “A Theory” and “Conditional.” Salvation and the belief in a one true religion were cleverly examined on “Save Us All,” with sharp lines like: “But if pride goeth before the fall / I hope someone’s God will save us all.”

At the same time, social concerns as seen through liberal lens have always been Chapman’s bread-and-butter topic, and those type of songs made up some of the strongest tracks on Our Bright Future. The title track poignantly questioned the point of war, while “Something to See” imagined a world without it. “The First Person on Earth” offered sympathy for those victimized by natural disasters, as a ghostly sounding violin occasionally underlined the anguish.

Tragedy at the more personal level was examined on the sweet, soulful “For a Dream.” As she did so effectively on “Fast Cars,” Chapman’s narrator clung to some small consolation and hope as the only way to deal with an emotional pain. Much as “Give Me One Reason” was that odd, out-of-place song on 1995’s New Beginning, this record’s curveball comes in the form of a cabaret: “I Did It All,” which works as a parody of the type of person who thinks his or her life is more scandalous than it really is. Chapman’s sweet vibrato is, come to think of it, the perfect voice for a song that mimics the lounge music of the Jazz Age.

Twenty years later, Tracy Chapman was still talking about many of the same issues, but so what? She presented ideas that were fully realized at the start. The best route to go from there was to fine tune an already winning format. With the help of a sympathetic producer and crack session players, Our Bright Future added a few intriguing new musical wrinkles.


S. Victor Aaron