Karen Carpenter - Karen Carpenter [Japan Import]

Karen Carpenter's only solo album is the great what-if of her catalogue, and it arrives here as a Japan import LP.

Recorded in New York between 1979 and early 1980 with producer Phil Ramone, the sessions found her stepping outside her brother Richard's meticulous arrangements and trying on a looser, more grown-up pop sound. The project was shelved in 1980 and stayed in the vaults until 1996, more than a decade after her death, when it was finally released.

What emerged is a fascinating snapshot of an artist testing new ground. "Lovelines" leans into a sleek late-70s pop sheen, and "Making Love in the Afternoon" pairs her with Chicago's Peter Cetera in a smooth duet. Her reading of Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years" shows how much feeling she could pack into a single held note. That unmistakable contralto sounds as close and warm as ever, just framed by different players and a different city.

Collectors who know the Carpenters' records inside out will find this one essential context, a glimpse of the direction Karen wanted to explore on her own terms. A Japanese pressing feels especially fitting too, given how devoted the country's listeners have always been to her voice. It is a bittersweet listen, and a lovely one.