Have You Seen Me Lately?

AMG Review of Have You Seen Me Lately?

William Ruhlmann
All Music Guide

Have You Seen Me Lately? was Simon's first studio album of original material in three and a half years. Simon has always written songs for her age group; here, it's the fortysomethings of the 1990s. "I've been doing a lot of thinking/About growing older and moving on," she sings, and in her world that entails "protein shakes," "twelve-step groups," and stays in clinics. Some relief is provided in the single "Better Not Tell Her" and "Fisherman's Song," on which Simon duets with Judy Collins. But you can't help thinking that the ongoing life story portrayed in Simon's songs has become somewhat limited. At the end, "We Just Got Here" provides the summer's-end metaphor for middle age, and we are left with the impression that there's nothing ahead but cold weather.