649. Nick of Time - Bonne Raitt

'Who?' was the resounding question when this album was selected. However, with Suzanne Vega still in our immediate memory, this was not necessarily the precursor to disappointment we might otherwise have expected.

A country singer whose career was on the decline before this album, I can only imagine how 'meh' her previous albums must have been. It is not that the music is bad, it is simply that it is hard to concentrate on for the duration of a single song, let alone album. Forgettable doesn't quite cut it - I'd listen to it on the way into work, and then realise that I was on track 8 without ever having engaged with it.

The title track is indicative of this, with a mellow vibe that would make most of a Radio 2 playlist sound edgy. Lyrically, there are some nice touches, but the overall sound is just autopilot MOR. Several tracks sound like Shania Twain demoes that never made the cut, examples that spring to mind are Thing Called Love and Too Soon To Tell, which is at least clever in framing the breakdown of a relationship as a retrospective.

I cannot imagine ever revisiting this album, and really can't recommend it to anyone, unless you're a big fan of pop-country that isn't very good. I picked out Have a Heart as my favourite, and can't really recall why, listening to it a few days later.

Chloe's rating: 5
Chloe's favourite track: 9. I Will Not Be Denied
Olly's rating: 4
Olly's favourite track: 7. Have a Heart

Next week is 88. Groovin' by The Young Rascals.