Tanita Tikaram – Ancient Heart (1988)

There are some artists who slowly grow on you – and others, like Tanita who you love on first hearing.  She was born in Germany but raised in England and despite her Fijian heritage she is really very English and sings with clear diction and a warm breathy voice which I fell in love with at first listen.  I am not sure if I heard her first single ‘Good Tradition’ first or had already bought the album.  She was only 18 when she recorded this album which was produced by Rod Argent and Peter Van Hooke.  All the songs were self-written and are sometimes naïve but somehow worm their way under your skin.  The first 2 singles were hits, especially ‘Twist In My Sobriety’ which has so far notched up over 75 million streams and has been her most successful release.  As sometimes happens with instant success her subsequent albums sold less well, although they are all pretty good, they maybe lack the immediacy of ‘Ancient Heart’.  I was besotted by her and continue to buy her quite rare releases to this day; in fact I have just pre-ordered her newest, which will be released in October.  Her voice still captivates me, it has a depth and warmth missing in so many other girl singers who often sound shrill and shouty – Tanita sings quietly and seems to whisper her way round the words. Best on this debut are ‘Cathedral Song’, ‘World Outside Your Window’ and ‘he Like The Sun’.