Review by Jason Ankeny
The ambitious You Must Ask the Heart is Richman’s most consistent effort in years; produced with clarity by Brennan Totten, the album is a neat summation of the singer’s recent history, ranging in tone from the pensive ("To Hide a Little Thought") to the silly ("Vampire Girl") and spanning in style from country (the title track) to Spanish ("Amorcito Corazon"). Offsetting his own material with a handful of superb covers — including Tom Waits’ "The Heart of Saturday Night" and Sam Cooke’s "Nothing Can Change This Love" — Richman sings with remarkable energy and honesty; even after dozens of records, his joyful spirit remains undimmed.1 To Hide a Little Thought (Richman( 3:14
2 The Heart of Saturday Night (Waits) 1:54
3 Vampire Girl (Richman) 3:41
4 Just Because I’m Irish (Richman) 1:50
5 That’s How I Feel (Tyus) 2:05
6 Let Her Go into the Darkness (Richman) 3:16
7 The Rose (McBroom) 1:32
8 You Must Ask the Heart (Richman) 3:25
9 Nothing Can Change This Love (Cooke) 2:06
10 Amorcito Corazón (DeUrdemalas, Esperon) 3:30
11 City Vs. Country (Richman) 2:30
12 Walter Johnson (Richman) 2:50
13 Nishi Richman, (Traditional) :17