has sounding vocally stable and more confident, taking what she had put into her debut single from 1978 and administering those facets into most of the album's content. went to number one in the U.K., on the strength of three singles that made her country's Top 20. Both and went to number 16, while was her first Top Five single since 's dramatics and theatrical approach to singing begin to solidify on , and her style brandishes avid seriousness without sounding flighty or absurd. about the repercussions of nuclear war, conveys enough passion and vocal curvatures to make her concern sound convincing, while bounces her voice up and down without getting out of hand. 's motherly charm and flexible chorus make it one of her best tracks, proving that she can make the simplest of lyrics work for her through her tailored vocal acrobatics. The rest of the album isn't quite as firm as her singles, but they all sport a more appeasing and accustomed sound than some of her past works, and she does manage to keep her identity and characteristics intact. She bettered this formula for 1985's , making that album's her only Top 40 single in the U.S., peaking at number 30. ~ Mike DeGagne