Smile

iTunes Review

Laura Nyro returned to album-making after a five-year absence with 1976’s Smile, a more mature and serene reconsideration of the musical and lyrical ideas that had appeared on her earlier albums. The fiery eroticism and desperate longing that fueled works like Eli and the Thirteenth Confession have cooled and been channeled into simmering pop-soul grooves and low-lit balladry. That’s not to say that Nyro has lost her creative spark — tracks like “Money” (a wailing protest against materialism) and “Children of the Junks” (an Asian reverie set to moody chords) are very much in keeping with the visionary quality that was always a hallmark of her music. “I Am the Blues” and “Midnite Blue” showcase her ethereal-yet-gutsy vocal style to fine effect. Nyro’s newly found happiness may be summed up best by “The Cat Song,” a whimsical tribute to feline wisdom. An all-star cast of East- and West-coast session players gives the album a bright, supple aural surface without obscuring the nuances of the material.