Today’s Pop Rescue is the 1991 second album Ritual Of Love by American singer and songwriter Karyn White. Will this album become part of your Rituals, or should it be sacrificed in the nearest fire? Read on…

A flurry of drums plunge us into this 12 track CD with lead single Romantic. I’m immediately reminded of some kind of Janet Jackson and Dannii Minogue hybrid. The track is loaded with beats and really punches a catchy pace, set against dramatic synths, warm ‘ooh’ backing vocals, and slick production courtesy of husband to be (for a while) Terry Lewis, who appears with his production partner Jimmy Jam. The track took Karyn to #23 on the UK singles chart.

Some soft percussion opens the moodier and slower titular track Ritual Of Love. Here we get to hear Karyn’s fuller un-hurried vocals and she gets to show off some rich and warm vocals set against some nice harmonies. The beats here are lovely, and they effortlessly carry the song along on its saunter aided with a nice bass.

The Way I Feel About You is next, and starts as a bright and up-beat R&B track, and again I’m getting Janet echoes. This was the album’s second single, but it failed to repeat the moderate UK success seen by predecessor Romantic, and it stalled at #65. That’s a shame as the chorus is fairly catchy, and Karyn once again gets to show of her vocal expertise.

Next is Hooked On You and this song, with it’s wonderfully tinny little beat and funky bass, is a wonderful playful and catchy song. The synths swirl around Karyn’s vocals here and the song is simple, yet easily imagined for a ton of remixes. This track definitely should have been a single, and deserves some remixes right now! I am indeed Hooked On This.

Karyn is Walkin’ The Dog next, giving her the album’s third single, and it comes smashing in straight after the previous track like an impatient Bobby Brown song (with whom she recorded backing vocals for his 1988 album). ‘Better keep him on a leash’ warns Karyn, and once again it’s a playful song packed with catchy lyrics and whistles, and more great lead and backing vocals. At times I’m reminded of En Vogue courtesy of the harmonies and attitude, and sadly the track didn’t get a UK release.

That leads on to Love That’s Mine which opens as a drum machine seemingly has a fit. We’re soon wandering through some keyboard orchestra hits (very early 90s!) as a soft little snare beat shows us the way to the first verse. Karyn is waiting for us there, and she sounds perfect as her melody flows easily over a bouncy bass line although it seemingly gets a bit lost in the middle before returning to form.

That’s followed by How I Want You, and this gives us a slower track. We’re treated some lovely warm, breathy, and tender vocals, with a little sexy whispering thrown in. Saxophones and violins join in (even lyrically cued up by Karyn) as the track plods along underneath. This feels like a long song.

One Heart follows that, and a piano strikes up to lead us into this mid-tempo love song. Karyn gets stuck into the vocals with great ease, but it’s a fairly standard love song, and I can imagine Mariah Carey belting this out mid-album.

Then it’s Tears Of Joy, which raises the tempo a little, but keeps us very much in the love song territory that I can imagine Janet or Mariah phoning in. Still, Karyn puts in a perfect performance, flanked with yet more wonderful backing vocals.

That leads on to Beside You, which gives us a somewhat almost lullaby of a slow number, with Karyn joined by saxophone solos and backing vocals for a thick plodding wander through a reflective love song. Karyn thankfully gets to show off her vocal range here in a few bursts amongst some wonderful harmonies.

We’re on to final single Do Unto Me next, and we’re welcomed by Karyn giving us some spoken word in the intro sequence. It’s a mid-tempo love song, but the hard ticking sound of the snare rim really helps to lift the song away from the run of slower numbers. The vocals and harmonies are of course wonderfully slick and warm and Karyn gets to show off her vocals towards the end and they’re worth waiting for! It’s a nice song, if perhaps musically formulaic and similar styled to a few other songs here.

The piano returns for the aptly titled closing track Hard To Say Goodbye. However, the song gives us a nice little burst of up-beat ending. It’s sad and reflective lyrics of loss, but the harder beat and bass gives us a bit of a foot tapper. Once again, I think of Janet, but Karyn’s vocals only give a passing likeness, instead making the track truly her own.

Verdict

Over all, this album is a wonderfully warm album showing Karyn’s fantastic lead and backing vocals perfectly.

Album track Hooked On Love leads the way here as the strongest track, mostly for its wonderful minimalism and catchiness, but it’s swiftly followed by Romantic, Walkin’ The Dog, Ritual Of Love, and The Way I Feel About You. These all appear in the first half of the album and sadly the latter half of the album (until the final song) feels like it’s a bit stuck in a loved up slow mode rut, as Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam seem to wallow in their style time and time again.

Still, Karyn’s lead and backing vocals are wonderful, and it’s a shame that the UK didn’t pay her much attention. It’s a nice album, and definitely worth giving a spin.

• POP RESCUE 2023 REVIEW RATING: 4 / 5
• 1991 UK ALBUM CHART PEAK: #31
• POP RESCUE COST: £1.98 from an eBay seller