But wait, don't leave yet-there's hope! And her name is Sara Bareilles. Sara made it big with her hit single "Love Song" in 2007, which, incidentally, she wrote about her frustration with the record company telling her "just write a love song for us." The song was part of her hit debut album Little Voice-now, three years later, Sara is back with her follow up album "Kaleidoscope Heart". Was it worth the wait, and does Ms. Bareilles continue to impress in the singer/songwriter and adult pop genres? Read on to find out!
Let's start out with my signature track-by-track breakdown.
Kaleidoscope Heart-The album opener is a just over minute, and was inspired by what Bareilles said was one of the themes of the album: a range of emotion from sadness to joy to pride. It highlights what makes Bareilles stand out: just her voice, layered to sound like it's being sung by a small a Capella group. It's a nice album opener.
Uncharted-Similar to "Love Song", but with strings. It's another song about writers block-this time Bareilles expresses the pressure of writing a follow up album, and in some senses, how to avoid the "sophomore slump". The lyrics are great, but they sometimes feel buried in the strings and guitar, which feel a little overproduced. I think "less is more" really applies to Bareilles, as her voice is rather remarkable (especially live).
Gonna Get Over You-One of my favorites on the album, and certainly one of the catchiest. Despite what the title may suggest, the song has a playful, spiteful, almost teasing tone to it. It has a nice little piano riff running through, catchy finger snaps, and a great chorus.
Hold My Heart-A great slow tune that highlights Bareilles' vocal abilities when it comes to expressing lament and heartbreak. Like "Uncharted", however, it feels overproduced in points. The R&B style hand clapping in a lot of ways detracts from her voice and the nice piano part.
King Of Anything-The first single from the album (the video is at the end of this post), and for good reason-it's catchy, it has a great "kiss-off" attitude, and it features not only strings, but even some horns in the chorus (which you'll be singing all day).
Say You're Sorry-Probably my least favorite on the album, and it feels the most pop-y. The lyrics are above most of the stuff on the radio today, but they get buried in the layered vocals that are in the style of that crappy tween pop I mentioned earlier.
The Light-This one took me a little bit to get into, as it's a lot slower than the two tracks before it, which feels a little jarring. Still, upon second listening, I really like the lyrics and she sounds great.
Basket Case-Probably my favorite slow song on the album, especially because of the instrumentation. It's the only song on the album that features acoustic guitar as the main instrument (rather than piano), and it has nice accordion interspersed. In addition to that, the lyrics are honest and great.
Let The Rain-Another track that doesn't really feature the piano, which makes it a great follow up to "Basket Case". This one is really highlighted by it's chorus, which features great lyrics and fitting rhythmic hand claps.
Machine Gun-Quite possibly my favorite on the album. It has a very playful tone to it, with arpeggiated piano chords and slide guitar that sounds awesome. The lyrics are clever too, and it all just comes together to make a great song that's well written.
Not Alone-This track has a sly, blues-y tone to it, with a low piano part and "whoo-whoo" backing vocals. Bareilles sounds fantastic, and she continues to prove her great vocal abilities.
Breathe Again-Another one that I had to give a good number of listens to, as it's slower and a little sleepy. But like "The Light", the lyrics pulled me in, and it's one of the best songs lyrically on the album.
Bluebird-A fantastic album closer, and a showcase of Bareilles at her best-a beautiful piano part and her resonant, emotional voice. It pulls you in from the start and keeps your attention. Like Little Voice's closer "Gravity", it's a song about heartache, and Bareilles is very convincing of the tone.
Bareilles has another great album on her hands. It's pop for the rest of us, for the adults who want to delve deeper thematically than bubblegum crap. Just as the opening track suggest, it's a pastiche of human emotion everyone can relate to in one way or antother.
Bottom Line: Kaleidoscope Heart feels a little overproduced in places and some slower songs take multiple listens to get your attention, but overall the album is a worthy follow up to Little Voice and continues to showcase Bareilles' talent for singing and songwriting.
Grade: B+
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