Mathilda May ‎– Mathilda May CD

In 1992, inspired by funk, downtempo, and R&B, she set out to release music that could stand on its own. Signing with Columbia, she insisted on one condition: she would be a singer-songwriter with full creative control. She would not trade her fame for that. Singing in English, she created an album of sophisticated pop and soul that channeled her own neo–Rickie Lee Jones-isms into something slipperier and more elusive.

Songs like the single “If You Miss…” or “Around the World” recall the wake of the UK funky and soul movement carried by groups like Soul II Soul and singers like Mica Paris. On “Souvenir,” May touches on something closer to the Minneapolis sound, while “Do You Want Me” evokes the boho scene before swerving into a wholly different kind of sensuality.

The album nearly disappeared from view as soon as it was released. No one quite knew what to make of a record with such floating roots back then in the places it was released. Yet now, listening to songs like “Make Me Smile,” “Je Suis à Toi,” and “Joy of Love,” I hear something uniquely endearing: music that still sticks in your mind and sounds better suited for our time. It reminds me why it’s important to separate Mathilda from what she’s most known for. To remember where she came from, even with this brief reintroduction. In the end, Mathilda was always a dancer.

Label: Columbia

Country: Neherlands

Media Condition: Very Good (VG)
Sleeve Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)

Plays fine but has many marks