Love Is is the eighth studio album by Kim Wilde, released in spring 1992. The album was not released in North America.
Kim Wilde found herself working with Rick Nowels on this album, the same songwriter who had written for Belinda Carlisle and later for Madonna amongst others. Three of the eleven tracks were produced by him while the remaining eight were produced by Ricky Wilde.
The majority of the tracks on this album were co-written by Wilde. In the song "Who Do You Think You Are", she reflects on how she had behaved through the years in her career. There were more love songs on this album; titles such as "Touched by Your Magic" and "Heart over Mind" are an indication of the themes of the lyrics.
Nowels provided "Love Is Holy", a song that immediately struck a chord with Wilde when she heard it in his studio in America. It became the first single release, giving Wilde her first UK Top 20 hit in nearly four years. Although the following two singles fell short of equalling its success, the project as a whole was well received by critics, who noted the Belinda Carlisle connection in some tracks. The rest of the album, however, was more consistent with the Wilde sound: guitar riffs over synths. Overall, the sound is more introspective and organic than the commercial pop of Love Moves, and especially haunting was the closing track, "Too Late", in which the loss of love is described in mournful tones. Mick Karn was credited for the bass on "Try Again".
Critical response
Tim Marsh of Q described "Love Is Holy" as "by far the strongest here" and was positive about mid-tempo tracks such as "Touched by Your Magic" in which Wilde demonstrates the range of her voice.[1]
