A Kind of Hush by The Carpenters (1976)

The seventh studio album by The Carpenters, ‘A Kind Of Hush’ was released in 1976 to little commercial success, though it fared better in the UK than in America reaching number 3 in the UK Albums Chart. It’s comprised of covers and original songs. One interesting fact is that the CD has been out of print since 2006, besides secondhand markets, which is a reason why holding on to things and buying secondhand can be so important.

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It opens with the title track, a cover of the 1960s hit made popular by Hermans Hermits, and I think The Carpenters rendition is really beautiful. Karen’s voice lends to it perfect, and I love all of the pauses in the song that build anticipation and make it feel so exciting. It’s followed by ‘You’, which is an easy favourite of mine and the most played song from the album. It captures the depth of Karen’s vocals wonderfully and that feeling of being someones everything.

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As we move forward, we get to ‘Sandy’, the first track to feature Richard’s backing vocals and it adds a really lovely layer to the song. I think the harmony for the chorus is gorgeous and really nice to sing too. The next track, ‘Goofus’, takes us in a different direction as we lean into something more playful, with a completely new rhythm. The original song from the 1930s with the first recorded release in the 1950s, it almost sounds as if Karen is speaking, very much embodying the country style The Carpenters are known for.

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I think ‘One More Time’ has a lovely tempo too, slowly down for a more intricate melody as piano leads Karen’s soft vocals holding on to hope. ‘Boat To Sail’ is another song I really love, with some fun jazz elements and nice harmonies thanks to Richard’s backing vocal again. The album closes with a cover of ‘Breaking Up Is Hard To Do’ by Neil Sedaka, which is surprisingly bright and joyful for a song about heartbreak. It’s the perfect way to end what I think is a brilliant album, and it solidifies how versatile they were as an artist.

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I also have to mention the artwork because I think the cover design is lovely, and I especially like the photo on the inner sleeve too, often an aspect of vinyl that historically has been neglected. These little details are so important for the overall experience of owning and enjoying physical media.