SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JOAN ARMATRADING – HOW DID THIS HAPPEN AND WHAT DOES IT NOW MEAN

JOAN ARMATRADING
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN AND WHAT DOES IT NOW MEAN
BMG

Joan Armatrading’s 21st studio album, How Did This Happen And What Does It Now Mean, is her first album since 2021’s Consequence, and her first new rock songs in three years. As with Consequence, this is an entirely solo project. Armatrading wrote, produced, engineered, and programmed the entire album.

Since her debut album, 1972’s Whatever’s For Us, Armatrading has produced consistent, thought-provoking and extremely entertaining rock music. She is known as a singer-songwriter, but in truth, she is an incredibly talented guitarist and How Did This Happen And What Does It Now Mean goes a long way to support this argument. Just listen to her guitar on “Now What”. She doesn’t restrain herself and she delivers some very tasteful playing. The album opens with the soulful “25 Kisses”, which turns into quite a dance song. Armatrading demonstrates that she is capable of writing great dance songs. This leads to the wonderful “Someone Else”. It is a beautifully arranged rock song with a strong melody that Armatrading does so very well.

The album is full of great songs and diverse sounds. The ballad, “Come Back To Me (If Only Dreams)” is stunning, with a beautiful orchestral arrangement and Armatrading’s strong vocals. The title track, “How Did This Happen And What Does It Now Mean” finds Armatrading asking some poignant questions, set to a bluesy/funky beat. It is an absolute treat. And the wonderful “I’m Not Moving” allows Armatrading to have fun but with a very sharp point. This is just another example of her ability to write brilliant lyrics and set it to music that really doesn’t fall into any clear genre. It rocks, it is pop, and it has a great R & B vibe going through it.

The album ends with a tip of the hat to her 1983 album, The Key. “I Gave You My Keys” is a rocking song with a great vocal performance from Armatrading. Although on the surface, this is a love gone wrong song, one can’t help but think that perhaps she is singing to the music industry. “Don’t think we’re connected/I don’t feel respected,” she sings and this seems pointed at an industry that all too quickly moves on to the next big thing. It is a brilliant song.

How Did This Happen And What Does It Now Mean is a fantastic album, and another classic from Armatrading. She once again delivers an album that has multiple layers and gets better with every spin on the turntable. Her voice has never sounded better and her guitar technique is sharp. She has written 12 outstanding songs on this album that all require and deserve the attention of the listener.

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