A voice worth returning to

Carole King’s music brings the craft of songwriting close to the grain of an individual voice. A piano figure can establish the scene, but it is often the shape of a phrase that makes the listener feel included. Her records invite attention without requiring a theatrical distance between performer and audience.

King’s career connects the songwriting world of the 1960s with the singer-songwriter albums of the 1970s. Her official discography documents a remarkably concentrated run: Tapestry and Music in 1971, Rhymes & Reasons in 1972, Fantasy in 1973 and Wrap Around Joy in 1974. These five albums form the route through this collection.

Tapestry is the obvious doorway, but the albums around it matter too. They reveal changes in scale, instrumentation and pacing while keeping a recognisable musical centre. Start with a familiar song, then stay for the surrounding tracks: an album can show how a songwriter connects different kinds of feeling.

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