by Zachary Curd

Make It Easy on Yourself is a puzzling record. Some tracks are instrumental, some feature session vocalists, and Bacharach himself sings only one track. Still, the album is a lesson in great songwriting. Bacharach's charm is his skill in dealing with abstracts. Songs that aren't immediately pleasing to the ear grow on the listener. "I'll Never Fall in Love Again," and "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" are great songs that solidify Bacharach as a master of quirk.