Partners in Crime

 

    I've been wanting to review this album for a while because of a couple of the tracks that I heard a while back that just absolutely grabbed me; and boy am I glad that I finally am, this albums pretty damn good. Partners in Crime is Rupert Holmes' 5th album and his most popular, holding a few of his most popular songs (I know for a fact that you can't count the amount of times you've heard Escape on the radio). I think that this album earns its relative popularity because of how well crafted the music is. From my cursory knowledge of Holmes I've heard that he's praised for his storytelling ability in his songs and I'm going to join that crowd. The scenarios and situations that he creates in the songs are near-unrivaled in my listening experience, creating such a vivid world in each track that just captures the listeners mind. It's astounding how good he is at telling unique little tales in such short time. And this is backed up by the excellent soft-rock/pop instrumentation that provides a perfect atmosphere for the album. Almost every song has a relaxed feel that invites you into a comfortable environment; The guitar especially has such a laid back timbre that can be euphoric at times. The synthesizer, as well, I think is amazingly done with such a warm feeling that really complements the other instruments. Now I know I've done nothing but shower this album with praise so far but there are a few places where I feel it falls a little short that I should mention. A few of the songs are harder to get into and didn't really grab me. In addition the music can sometimes feel a little awkward and maybe not as planned out as other parts (I'm looking at you, Lunch Hour). It's nothing major, but I felt that it should be stated when trying to figure out a score for the overall album. Overall though, I think that most of the songs get their moods down really well, being able to take the same relaxed vibe and sound and easily stretch it from comedic to dramatic to sweet and sappy. I haven't heard too much of Holmes' stuff outside of the hits from this album, but if they're like this then I'd gladly visit some of his other work. Partners in Crime is an excellent album that doesn't lose its footing too often and really shows off its unique feel that I'd easily recommend. 

    Highlights: Partners in Crime, Nearsighted, Answering Machine, Get Outta Yourself, In You I Trust.

Rating: 5/6