After her 1972 debut “Whatevers For Us,” Armatradings sophomore album, “Back to the Night,” brings her three years later a step closer to be the complete singer-songwriter and the distinctive artist as we know her. The songs are tightly constructed, melodic, harmonically rich. The arrangements, from simple guitar to full band, always support her mellifluous, expressive voice. Her lyrics carry strong messages, create vignettes of our world that tell us who we are and who we want to be. She’s willing to talk about being hurt (“Cool Blue Stole My Heart”) and even finding God (“Get In Touch With Jesus”). The backing musicians are again an accomplished lot, including members of the Cat Stevens band and Andy Summers playing lead-guitar on the serendipitous “Steppin’ Out”.
