"Several [members of Tikaram's touring combo heard here] have done time with Van Morrison, a comparison that comes in handy for Closer to the People, not because her songs sound like Van's (...), but the record trades in jazz and soul influences while also spinning these familiar tropes into the realm of the personal ... The hushed arrangements, underpinned by acoustic bass and brushed drums, seem like reflections of the song's soul. Such tasteful surroundings mean Closer to the People works well as a mood album - the quiet, sophisticated veneer is sustained from beginning to end - but the album is rewarding with closer attention, attention that reveals the details in both the arrangements and writing".