At 70 years of age, Joan Armatrading's ability to convey an intimate message in a simple, soulful pop song has not diminished in any way at all - as evidenced in her latest, 22nd, album – ‘Consequences’. None of the tracks may be quite as memorable as 1976's ‘Love and Affection’ or 1980's ‘Me Myself I’ but Armatrading's heartfelt mix of reggae, rock, and feel-good funk in her new album is both imaginative and reassuring. She imparts the sense of a woman fully and happily in control of her art - especially in the euphoric love song ‘Already There’ and in the title track where she demonstrates her great guitar skill. Joan Armatrading was a trailblazer back in the 1970s, but as she clearly shows in this new album, she is still well worth listening to.