All Alone by the Telephone pairs Polly Bergen with arranger Luther Hendersonto create a deeply melancholy song cycle that explores romantic estrangement and isolation from a refreshingly adult perspective. Bergen's dusky, world-weary vocals never resort to histrionics, finding their mode of expression in restraint, not release--her thoughtful interpretations of material like "Glad to Be Unhappy," "Too Late Now" and "By Myself" strip the songs to their core, articulating their themes of loss and loss with hard-fought maturity. Henderson's sympathetic, meticulous arrangements are no less essential to the album's uncommon sophistication.