Anita Baker - Giving You the Best That I Got

Anita Baker's Giving You the Best That I Got is quiet storm soul at its most luxurious, back on vinyl for long evenings and low lights.

Released in 1988, her third studio album arrived as the follow-up to the hugely successful Rapture, and once again she worked with producer Michael J. Powell. Rather than chase trends, the pair doubled down on what made Baker special: elegant, jazz-tinged arrangements and that rich contralto, which she handles with the restraint of a great jazz singer. The album went on to earn three Grammy Awards and cemented her place among the defining voices of adult R&B.

The title track is the centrepiece, a slow-burning declaration of devotion that builds patiently toward its emotional peak. "Just Because" glides on a warm, easy groove, "Lead Me Into Love" lets her voice float over soft keys and gentle rhythm, and "Priceless" opens the record with understated grace. Across eight songs, nothing feels rushed, and every phrase is placed with care.

It's an album built for close listening, the sound of an artist entirely in command of her gift and in no hurry to prove it. Put it on after dark, pour something nice and let Baker take it from there, one perfectly judged note at a time.