Again, Michael Franks switches gears, this time back to a more romantic, thoughtful approach. The result is Objects of Desire, a natural follow-up to Tiger in the Rain. Steve Khan adds a distinctive touch with his guitar work as does Rob Mounsey with his keyboards; yet neither takes away from the orchestrated grandeur of some tracks. Primarily produced by Franks, the album was his most personal statement musically up to that point. In his attempt to create a musical portrait in a style reminiscent of the art of Paul Gauguin, Franks comes closest with "Tahitian Moon." His clever love song style is evident on "Laughing Gas"; yet in setting out to come up with something ambitious within the jazz-pop arena, Franks is again less successful at creating songs with the wide appeal of his earlier works. Musically throughout, though, Franks shows off his multi-sensory artistic influences as well as his continuing ability to try new things, with excellent results. ~ Steve Matteo
