Rumer: Into Colour

Rumer arrived out of the blue four years ago with a trembling, unashamedly MOR debut album, Seasons of My Soul, that pitched her as the authentic missing link between Karen Carpenter and Laura Nyro. It hasn't been plain sailing since, unfortunately, with various ailments (including being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress and bipolar disorder) interrupting her life, but Into Colour, the title alone of which implies a marked level of recovery, is yet another doozie of a late-night, candles- and-chocolates-and-a-warm- bath album. Amidst melancholic songs that wouldn't be ashamed to be seen in the same company as those classic ones written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Rumer sings of depression, emotional bruising, miscarriage and break-ups. Serious topics treated quite mournfully? Lie back and let it flow. rumer.co.uk