Tanita Tikaram - The Cappuccino Songs (1998)

Tracklist:

01. Stop Listening [4:24]
02. Light Up My World [3:36]
03. Amore Si [4:02]
04. Back In Yours Arms [4:01]
05. The Cappuccino Song [3:51]
06. I Don't Wanna Lose At Love [4:20]
07. The Day Before You Came [4:25]
08. If I Ever [3:42]
09. I Like This [3:58]
10. I Knew You [4:59]

I've been a fan of Tanita Tikaram ever since her first CD, which, like many, I heard initially in a music store and had to buy it. And like other reviewers, I was not always impressed by some of her later work, which was uneven at best. "Cappuccino Songs," however, is a whole new Tikaram. It's unlike anything she's done before and, in my opinion, her best work. Listening to this CD makes me wonder why it is it so hard to find this excellent album. "Amore, Si," "The day before you came," and "I Knew You" stand out, but every track on this CD is a wonder and wholly unexpected. One finds traces of Latin and jazz and damn good song writing. And her voice seems to age like the finest red wine. Keep in mind that she was little more than a teenager when her first album was released to such acclaim; and imagine the pressure on her to come up with something that would top and out-sell "Ancient Heart," which still sounds great more than 15 years later. Even now, most still associate Tanita Tikaram with her first hit, "Twist in My Sobriety" and, perhaps, "Good Tradition" and "Cathedral Song." This CD, "Cappuccino Songs," takes a giant step beyond anything she's done before.