Jessie Ware - Glasshouse

Pitchfork 80

On her third album, the English singer/songwriter vividly captures a love both intimate and powerful.

The Guardian 60

(PMR/Island)

Emerging at the tail end of the dubstep movement, south London’s Jessie Ware has long been the musical equivalent of a minimalist Scandi clothes store, all restrained vocals thoughtfully draped over barely there electronica. On Glasshouse, she manages to harness her rarely seen diva mode in among the pared-back hallmarks, but the result is a mixed one. Opener – and lead single – Midnight sees her push her vocals in all directions for striking falsetto-propelled soul, while Selfish Love capitalises on the current Latin pop trend in pleasingly classy fashion with no clunky attempts at Spanish. Elsewhere, Sam – co-written with Ed Sheeran – is a four-chord story of finding The One and having her now one-year-old daughter, lifted by Ware’s raw family confessional. Unfortunately, though, there’s plenty of “pleasant-but-insipid” here, such as Slow Me Down and Stay Awake, Wait for Me – both drowned in radio-friendly sultriness – and Your Domino, which feels like a paunchy, overproduced take on 2012 single If You’re Never Gonna Move. Ware is arguably at her best here when she drops the hyper-stylised veneer and gives the pop star lark her best shot, rather than openly hedging those bets.

The Guardian 60

(Universal/Island)

Following two albums of understated soul-pop that tickled the Top 10, Glasshouse feels like a pivotal release for Jessie Ware. Stomping lead single Midnight and the Latin-flavoured follow-up Selfish Love hinted at a more robust sound, while windswept ballad Alone is X Factor montage soundtrack gold. Elsewhere, however, it still feels a little too safe, with only the closing Sam – a disarmingly heartfelt ode to her husband – forging a true emotional connection. Tracks such as Hearts, the gently pulsating Your Domino and Last of the True Believers (featuring the Blue Nile’s Paul Buchanan) all perfectly showcase Ware’s crystalline vocals – you just wish she’d step out of her comfort zone more often.