John Waite-Figure In A Landscape

Record Label: Gold circle records
Year: 2001
Track listing:
01. keys to your heart
02. always be your man
03. thinking about you
04. New York City Girl
05. Fly
06. New thing
07. Special one
08. Whenever you come around
09. Touch
10. Godhead
11. Masterpiece of loneliness

I can recall the first time I heard “Missing you” by John Waite. It was around 1984, and I was nine years old. Waite’s voice really stuck with me, and every time I would hear “Missing You” on the radio, I would fall in love with his voice all over again.
Fast forward to 1989 and Waite formed Bad English, captivating me yet again, this time with the haunting “When I See You Smile”. The band disappeared as quickly as they arrived, but yet again I was left with a lasting impression.

“Missing You” and “When I See You Smile” remained two of my favorite songs, but in honesty, I didn’t expect to hear anymore of Waite’s music. That was until I chanced across Figure In A Landscape in a local record store.
I bought it, unsure of what to expect, but instinctively knowing that I would love it from beginning to end. And you know what? I was right. It’s one CD that I’ve had in constant rotation since I bought it two months ago.

I love the stripped down feeling to Figure In A Landscape. It highlights the earthiness of Waite’s voice, and the genre his music has switched to. While it was rock at one stage, it has now changed to adult contemporary. It’s a genre-switch that suits Waite’s style well, and is as appealing to me, as it was 24 years ago.

Figure In A Landscape has a consistency that allows the songs to smoothly follow each other. Each song is strongly written, and there’s a maturity to each that suits Waite well. It is almost as if he has finally found his niche, and the smooth vocals show his comfort in doing so.
Each song has straightforward melodies, performed with a group of tight musicians, that showcase Waite’s strengths, and vocal range.

“NYC Girl” is the real gem on Figure In A Landscape, and it’s a track I could listen to over and over again. The lyrics provoke an imagery, and it really takes you to where Waite is at. You can almost imagine yourself in that coffeeshop with Waite, as he waits for his “NYC Girl”. There’s no song on this album I would skip over.
It’s a pleasure to hear Waite after all these years, and yet again, he has left a lasting impression on me.

Songs not to miss: “Keys To Your Heart”, “NYC Girl”, “Fly”, and “Whenever You Come Around”.
I give this 4/5
Buy Figure In a Landscape Here
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