Characters opens with 'You Will Know', a solo Wonder track, on which he plays all the instruments, creating most of the soundscape through synthesizers and the fairlight. In comparison to most of the record which follows, 'You Will Know' does not feature its programmed music too heavily, and the emphasis is on the keyboard playing of Wonder himself.
'In Your Corner' contains a flash of Wonder's harmonic abilities, with some impressive backing vocals, but the track is hampered by a routine and artificial waltz sound, created by Wonder's wave synthesizer. The false sounding percussion also hampers 'One Of A Kind', which still boasts Wonder's natural gift for memorable vocal hooks.
As with 'Overjoyed' on the previous record In Square Circle, Characters finds its highlight when moving away from the computer and synthesized sounds which dominate. The sweet and sparse 'With Each Beat Of My Heart' features the unusual use of breathing as percussion, solid harmonica work and emotive group harmonies provided solely by Wonder himself.
Stevie Wonder and Synthesizers
After successful collaborations on Wonder's 'You Haven't Done Nothin'' and 'I Can't Help It' on Jackson's Off The Wall record, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson duet on 'Get It', a track which never truly suits either artist.
Jackson contributes mainly in whelps and whoops, whilst Wonder's impassioned vocal sits at odds with the somewhat cartoon-like percussion, which drowns out the guitar of Ben Bridges. Jackson and Wonder themselves never seem to be singing quite the same song, and the track fails to reflect their separate and immense talents.
'Dark 'n' Lovely' also features a previous collaborator in the form of lyricist Gary Byrd, who provided the words for Songs In The Key Of Life's 'Village Ghetto Land'. As with 'Get It' and Michael Jackson, the track fails to relive past glories, the synthesizers coming across in an aggressive manner.
Skeletons
The lead single from Characters, 'Skeletons' was an R&B number one, and features some rhythmic computer grooves. Wonder lets loose some sassy vocals towards the close of the track, and whilst not featuring any of his traditional melodic gifts, the track's success rests on the tight, programmed groove.
'Free' features the widest use of natural instruments on Characters, despite synthesized bass and horns. The textures provided by Ben Bridges' acoustic guitar, a gospel choir on backing duty, and Wonder's deployment of a spinet and clavicord are the nearest reminder of the experimental spirit of his mid-70s work on the album.
The CD and cassette versions featured two bonus tracks, the muddled and misfiring 'Come Let Me Make Your Love Come Down' and the kazoo-featuring epic 'My Eyes Don't Cry', neither of which added a great deal to the record, which was Wonder's lowest-charting album of new material since 1972's Music Of My Mind. The increased dominance of computerized rhythms and sounds provoked negative feedback from critics and fans alike, and resulted in a four-year wait for his next record.
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