On This Kind of Love, Carly Simon further explores her personal songcraft while dipping her toes into warm Brazilian waters using bossa nova and samba motifs to give texture to her folk/pop sound. With songwriting great Jimmy Webb serving as her co-producer, Simon delves into romance and family relations with an often bittersweet touch. The grooves here range from festive and buoyant (“Hola Soleil”) to softly insistent (“Island”) and quietly elegant (“The Last Samba”), tapping the subtleties of the Brazilian beats to underscore shifting emotions. Tracks like “How Can You Ever Forget” and the title number have a sophisticated feel to them, reflecting Simon’s mature portrayals of male/female relations. Her best moment is the venomous “People Say a Lot,” a dish-dealing look at everyday deceit set to a funky arrangement. Simon’s somewhat weathered voice may not work for rock material, but it suits the content and sound of these songs comfortably. There’s a sense here that she’s moved beyond chasing after hit records and prefers to write and sing from an honest perspective. This Kind of Love is that kind of album.