Me Myself, I

iTunes Review

By the late ‘70s, lots of veteran singer/songwriters were sticking their toes into New Wave waters with varying results. Joan Armatrading jumped head-first into the era’s shifting musical currents on Me Myself I (1980), an engaging fusion of folk-pop introspection and modern rock exuberance. Produced by Richard Gottehrer (of Blondie and Go-Go’s renown), the album bristles with muscular guitars, thumping basses and trashy organs. Armatrading’s cello-like vocal tone and lilting phrasing fit in nicely with the spiky arrangements — on tracks like “Ma-Me-O Beach,” “When You Kisses Me” and “Is It Tomorrow Yet,” she catches the right spirit of punk-pop fun, and with a spare poetic touch, she explores the pleasures of solitude on the title track, deals with the pain of separation on “All The Way From America” and details an odd romantic triangle on “Simon.” No album by Joan would be complete without some confessional balladry; this one has two fine examples, “Turn Out The Light” and “I Need You.” As both a successful foray into New Wave rock and a distinctly personal statement, Me Myself I remains one of Joan Armatrading’s most appealing and well-realized works.