Walk Under Ladders

iTunes Review

An awful lot of ‘70s-era singer/songwriters tried to ride the New Wave — but few pulled it off with as much grace as Joan Armatrading did on Walk Under Ladders (1981). Producer Steve Lillywhite surrounded her with throbbing synthesizers, abrasive guitars and squealing saxophones while retaining her innate soul and sensitivity. Joan seems energized by the fresh sounds, zestfully applying her deep-toned vocals to upbeat tracks like “When I Get It Right,””I Wanna Hold You” and “At The Hop.” She coolly glides through the thoughtful “I’m Lucky” and turns “The Weakness In Me” into a moving confession of love. A special treat are the reggae tracks “Romancers” and “I Can’t Lie To Myself” (the latter featuring the legendary Sly and Robbie on drums and bass). As usual, Armatrading’s lyrics are acutely introspective and tinged with self-deprecating humor. A well-picked cast of session players make the album’s tracks jump — Thomas Dolby’s quirky keyboard riffs and bassist Tony Levin’s tough-yet-supple bass lines are especially tasty. Walk Under Ladders could easily have been another example of a folk-rooted artist losing her way amidst the harder sounds of the early ‘80s. Instead, Armatrading turned this excursion into a triumph.