Review Summary: An exercise in pop perfection, "Close To You" is an expressive hymn to musical cursiveness and sheer emotion.
The release of "Close to You" was one of the peaks of American pop mastery. The sophomore album of the soft-rock duo Carpenters is a parade of pop perfection spread over 40 minutes of musical expressivity, beautiful arrangements, and nuanced vocal harmonies. Initially, the critics considered The Carpenters' album a saccharine effort made by the an inexpressive pop group. Nowadays, a significant category of music critics and pop fans has an enormous sympathy for the crystalline spirit and touching romanticism of "Close To You," with bands from ABBA to Sonic Youth appreciating the beauty of one of the greatest pop creations.
A mix between balladry, jazz and baroque nuances, "Close To You" has a tenderness that simply gives wings to the entire album, making it transcend the limits of time and keep continuously its relevance. When I bought the album, I was expecting something in the vein of Captain and Tennille or Sonny and Cher (in the best scenario). At first listening, I was struck by the musical fluency and the sensitive approach. Karen’s voice has a touching beauty; Richard’s arrangements and lush vocal accompaniment gave a plus of tenderness to the entire soundscape, and the result was expressed by sheer emotion and profound musical breath. Finally, I was amazed and deeply touched by the Carpenters' musical actuality and charm.
Every song aims to convey the contours of an emotion, succeeding in creating an inner music full of harmony. Furthermore, the pop essence is accompanied by jazz and folk-rock accents that ensure an elaborate character to the style and make the album not lose its power after multiple listens. Also, this elaboration creates a musical flow that ties every moment together and links the hits with relevant miniature jewels.
The beginning is represented by the suggestively titled "We’ve Only Just Begun." Carpenters were aware that their music became a vehicle for complex sentiments expressed with a suite of minutious harmonies. If the first album was a flawed (but remarkable) oscillation between jazz-inspired harmonies, rock’n’roll nuances, and pop orchestrations, here the main place is occupied by the quest for musical homogeneity. So, "Close To You" is a new beginning, "We’ve Only Just Begun" expressing succinctly the road that Carpenters will follow (and dozens of American bands after them).
"Love Is Surrender" is an enchanting ode to love that creates a beautiful sound emanated by the combination between the alert rhythm and tender lyrics. This fusion makes the song a great introduction to the band's sound for any rock'n'roll listener. "Maybe It’s You" has optimistic lyrics accompanied by a melancholic melody emphasizing the intimate side of the Carpenters’ style and anticipating with its sound the landmark song "Rainy Days and Mondays."
"Reason to Believe" and "Help" confirm the highly original style, with the group giving them a ballad-oriented interpretation that has a magnificent distinction. I remember that Richard Carpenter once said that "in every Beatles song lies a ballad waiting to be discovered." Carpenters discovered that hidden ballad and unveiled the sad meditation in an intimate key of musical empathy. I think that in some circumstances of our lives, this "Help" version may have a better echo than The Beatles’ masterpiece, because Carpenters explored a more empathetic and sentimental sound which resonates with the melancholic part of us all.
"(They Long To Be) Close To You", "Baby It’s You" and "I’ll Never Fall in Love Again" are all composed by Burt Bacharach, forming a sort of conceptual suite. Every song in the trilogy has something of the pop sensibility of "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head." As they did with "Help" and "Reason to Believe," Carpenters accentuate the melodic part of these melodies and decorate it with a pure orchestral sound. In "I’ll Never Fall In Love Again," they return to the jazz-inspired passages of their previous album, but here they sound more concise, the musical phrasing showing the album’s accomplished character.
Another sort of experiment in musical structure will be represented by "Crescent Noon" which blends the sound of a piano work by Erik Satie with traditional pop vocals. It’s the first moment that doesn't have the status of a potential hit, feeling more like a nighttime contemplation. "Mr. Guder" again accentuates the big-band approach and tunes it with a baroque pop sound that gives further resonance to the album’s spirit and an accessible complexity. "I Kept On Loving You" and "Another Song" continue the labyrinthic sound of "Mr. Guder," showing a desire for exploration characteristic of the beginning of the new decade.
In spite of the succession of variations and the multitude of changing moods, the album has a thread that unifies every moment and gives the ultimate feeling of perfection. Carpenters, with their arrangements and harmonies, definitivated a clean sound that will drive the entire pop décor to a more crystaline and lightful atmosphere. And, above this fulfilled search for perfection, the duo avoids the sterile cliches and creates a personal music that touches the strings of our heart and directly empathizes with us. This trait gives the band a voice that still has emotion and meditative beauty, Carpenters creating a soft intimacy that fitted perfectly with the pop's new orientation.
