Belinda Carlisle
Carlisle is sounding, as well as looking, sleeker and tougher these days. Some of the Betty Boopishness of her Go-Go's days is gone from her voice, replaced by a more aggressive, focused delivery. The generally lovey-dovey nature of the songs on the album slows this maturation process, and the tunes—many co-written by Carlisle's former bandmate Charlotte Caffey—are also lacking such qualities as wit, perception and aural appeal. Producer Rick Nowels, who has worked with Stevie Nicks, compensates for the weak material to some extent, shaping a large-bodied sound that invites dancing to these tracks even if they're not much to think about. Thomas Dolby pitches in on keyboards. If the result does not live up to the record's title, it's still somewhere north of purgatory. (MCA)
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