Hometime is the fifth studio album by English singer/songwriter Alison Moyet, released in 2002 by Sanctuary Records. Hometime was produced by The Insects who had previously worked with Massive Attack and Madonna among others. There is a gap of almost eight years between the release of Moyet's fourth studio album, Essex, and Hometime; owing to a legal dispute between the singer and Sony Music Entertainment UK, her former record label, who wanted her to produce what they saw as more "commercial" music. Hometime was the first album by Moyet released by her new record label, Sanctuary Records. Much to the chagrin of Sony – who had refused to release the album – Hometime enjoyed a great deal of critical and commercial success; the album sold in excess of a quarter of a million copies in the UK within the first months of its release, Moyet became one of the top five best-selling female artists of 2002, and was nominated for a BRIT Award and a Mercury Music Prize that year. A deluxe edition of Hometime was released by Cooking Vinyl on 2 October 2015.
Background
Following the commercial success of her 1995 compilation albumSingles, Moyet and Sony suffered disagreements over the singer's future artistic direction. The label expressed their wishes in having Moyet return to a commercial sound in order to replicate the success she had seen during the 1980's, however she disagreed. Although Sony commissioned the recording of a fifth studio album, Hometime, in 1999, they refused to release it once it had been completed in 2000. Eventually the label agreed to release Moyet. She told the Windy City Times in 2002: " wanted me to follow more of a commercial line of recording than I wanted. They didn't want to release me from my contract. I think they were hoping that I'd come to my senses and that never happened." Once released by Sony, Moyet began presenting Hometime to various independent labels. A deal was made with Sanctuary Records, then the largest independent record label in the UK, and Hometime was released in August 2002. Moyet told the Windy City Times: "I was completely blown away by the way reacted to the music. They don't have the tools that Sony has, but they completely believed in the album." Speaking of the album to The Guardian in 2001, Moyet said: "It's an adult album but it's not mainstream. There's some blues on it, some chanson, some heavy strings. It's the best album I've ever made. A lot of people will love it but it's not Radio One." Hometime reached No. 18 in the UK. Three singles were released from the album; "Should I Feel That It's Over", "Do You Ever Wonder" and "More".
Critical reception
Upon its release, Andy Gill of The Independent commented: "It's undoubtedly her most compelling set of performances since her 1984 solo debut Alf, and may be her best album, period." David Peschek of The Guardian considered the album a "spectacular record of smouldering electronic torch songs, downbeat soul and wayward folk that is easily the best of her career." Q commented: "Eight years is a long time but this is worth the wait." Burhan Wazir of The Observer noted: "Hometime, surprisingly, is one of the most ambitious records of her career, and the strength of the songwriting rarely stumbles." American magazine Billboard commented: "Beautifully produced by the Insects and primarily penned by the artist herself, Hometime finds Moyet tackling signature themes like love, lust and, yes, heartbreak. With Hometime, Moyet surely delivers the best album of her career." The Advocate described Hometime as a "stunning collection" combining "confessional lyrics" and "icy-cool chill-out electronic music". The Orlando Weekly wrote: "Hometime is a soaring reminder of the potency of music itself. It's that rare album that stands above pedantic industry scrutiny, instead pulling you into a dreamlike study of the truth and beauty that reside in the difficult spaces between ourselves and others." Hal Horowitz of AllMusic noted: "Moyet's fifth album is a posh, lavish, elegant affair that shows she's lost none of her chops throughout the long layoff. Production by the Insects adds a torchy, dreamy quality to these tunes. Between the intricately crafted songs, the ornate production, and Moyet's soulful voice, this is arguably her most fully realized and cohesive work."
