Rumer’s first collection of original songs since her 2010 debut Seasons of My Soul has real emotional heft, dealing with such personal subjects as a miscarriage (Butterfly) and mental health issues (Dangerous). As ever, she sings with admirable restraint, eschewing melisma in favour of an adherence to melody in the style of Dusty Springfield or Karen Carpenter. Rumer is even closer to her muse than on her last outing, Boys Don’t Cry, an album of 70s singer-songwriter covers released in 2012. While recording Into Colour, which replicates easy-listening 70s pop, Rumer got engaged to producer Rob Shirakbari, musical director for Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick and Daryl Hall. Shirakbari’s retro production adheres to classic pop verities, with Philly strings on Dangerous, Fender Rhodes on You Just Don’t Know People and Bacharach-style trumpet on Reach Out. Why listen to Into Colour rather than Rumer’s source material? The question seems churlish: these are memorable songs, recorded with exquisite taste.
