by Andrew Hamilton
Esther Phillips wraps her timeless vocal ability around eight ripe-for-the-times songs, giving solid readings to charmers like &Bedtime Stories,& &Mr. Melody,& and &Philadelphia Freedom.& The poignant &I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy Without Me& deviates from the traditional thought when an affair breaks up; instead of stating the correct, Phillips hopes the scoundrel falls on his face. Classy revivals of &Our Day Will Come& and &Love Makes a Woman& are prime Esther, and display her amazing control and diction making the lyrics unnecessary.