"I always keep a stimulant handy in case I see a snake - which I also keep handy" - W. C. ...
"I always keep a stimulant handy in case I see a snake - which I also keep handy" - W. C. Fields
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Although it was “The Spirit Room” that bought Michelle Branch to the notice of the public, and “Hotel Paper” that won her a Grammy, thanks to the collaboration with Santana it contained, neither were her first attempt at fame. A year before “the Spirit Room”, there was an independent release which, although not quite being enough to propel her to stardom, did bring her to the attention of Madonna’s record label Maverick, and the course was set.
Many of the songs that were contained on “The Spirit Room” started life on this album, with around half the tracks having common ground between both albums. There’s a stripped down feel to many of them, and the production was clearly better (and, more than likely, more expensive) on “The Spirit Room”. But there is clearly talent behind the songs here and I suspect it is this promise as much as anything else that gained Branch the major label attention she was soon to receive.
Whilst the album deserves to be judged on its own merits, making comparisons between it and “The Spirit Room” is all too easy. Particularly with the opening track “If Only She Knew”. This was one of my favourites from “The Spirit Room” with a bouncy funky bass line, but this version sounds as if it has had the heart ripped out of it. This time, there’s virtually no bass line and it’s pretty much an acoustic pop ballad with little to recommend it. It’s slowed down, the backing vocals are pretty annoying, and the whole track seems pretty insipid and lifeless.
The opening bars of “Sweet Misery” immediately sound more promising, with an electric guitar intro and a more bouncy poppy sound. It’s again a fairly stripped down version of the same song from “The Spirit Room”, but stands up better to comparison than “If Only She Knew”, as the later version was maybe a little over produced. The
vocals do still make this sound like something that could have been on Natalie Imbruglia’s “Left of the Middle”, although the musical comparison is less apt with this version.
The first of the tracks not to feature on “The Spirit Room” is “Washing Machine”. It’s another acoustic track, with a bit more pace than the earlier tracks. The lack of production is evident again, with the guitar sometimes overpowering the vocals a little. For the first time, the backing vocals don’t seem to be a distraction and this is as good a pop song as anything on any of her albums. It’s hard to see why this track wasn’t selected for inclusion on “The Spirit Room”, as with a little better production, this would be a very impressive song.
“I’d Rather be in Love” was another that made it onto “The Spirit Room”. This is probably the track least affected by the transfer from one album to another. Although it has a guitar and slightly less “indie” feel to the major label version, it’s a decent heavy pop style track and there’s again a touch of Natalie Imbruglia in the vocals.
It’s back to the “Broken Bracelet” exclusive tracks with “Paper Pieces”. From the outset, it’s quite possibly one of the rockiest songs Branch has done. Unlike some of her later work, it’s not quite got the fury of Alanis Morrisette, and has a slightly pop edge to it at points, which makes me think of acts like the Donnas or even some of the Bangles heavier edged moments. Like much of the album, it’s a little raw, but this adds to the power of this particular song, rather than acting as a distraction.
“Stewart’s Coat” slows the pace down and has more of a bass edge to it. However, it’s essentially just a fairly slow paced pop number, and certainly has the feel of Suzanne Vega to it, or Tracy Chapman without the intelligence of the lyrics. It’s largely an uninspiring track, though, and doesn’t really do anything of note.
“I’ll Always Be Right There” doesn’t really improve much on things. I said of “The Spirit Room” that Branch doesn’t seem to have either the voice or the inspiration to do ballads well, and this proves that she’s been that way since day one. It’s a lacklustre piano-led pop ballad that really doesn’t change in tone or pace at any stage, and it’s no more than background music.
The last of the tracks to also appear on “The Spirit Room”, “Goodbye to You” carries on with the slower paced numbers. This time around it’s an acoustic guitar number, rather than piano led, but that doesn’t improve on the song. Like the couple previous, it’s largely the same all the way through, and the production sounds a little raw again.
Fortunately, “Second Chances” is a little more up tempo, although it’s still not as rocky as some of the earlier tracks. Again, it’s an acoustic led song, but the rawness of the production seems to work a little better on the quicker paced tracks and this is again true here, even though the guitar does overpower the vocals a little here and there. Essentially, though, it’s just another pop song, with shades of Lene Marlin.
“Leap of Faith” carries on much the same theme. Again, it’s an acoustic guitar and a vocal and very little else. The mix seems to be a little better this time around, and the vocals are a lot clearer. This song also benefits from a slight tempo change towards the end, which stops it being mere background music, but doesn’t rescue it from being just another acoustic pop song.
I can’t see the point of adding an acoustic version of “Sweet Misery” as a bonus track. The difference between the two versions would have been more noticeable with “The Spirit Room” version, but not so much with the alternative available here. It makes for a nice change, being a little more up tempo than the previous few tracks, but is still nothing more than a standard kind of pop song, although the acoustic nature of the backing brings to the fore how much the vocals sound like Natalie Imbruglia on “Torn”
As someone who is both a completist and quite a big fan of Michelle Branch’s other two albums, I’m delighted to have a copy of this, particularly as it was never released in the UK and isn’t available anywhere over here. However, that is really the only reason you’d want to buy this album – if you have her other two album releases, it’s interesting to pick up this one just to prove that you’re a fan.
There is very little else to recommend the album, though. For sure, there are some fairly decent pop tracks on here, but that’s also true of “The Spirit Room”, with several of the tracks being the same ones, and the ease of purchase and the better production values make that a far better buy.
On the plus side, for the committed fan, it’s hugely interesting to see where Michelle Branch started from, and you can see how she has progressed through her career to date. With the deficits in the production values and the relative scarcity of other instruments this album gives a hint towards how a Michelle Branch MTV Unplugged might sound. But that, along with most of the positives about the album, is again something for no-one other than a fan to get excited about.
If you are that fan, however, the good news is that the album is available relatively cheaply. For most albums only available on import, you might expect to pay upwards of £15, should you be lucky enough to find a copy. “Broken Bracelet”, however, is only available through Branch’s own website at www.michellebranch.net. Unusually for an international order, it’s priced at $21 including postage, which at current exchange rates means you can have it sent from the US for the equivalent of around £11.50 (although check the current exchange rate before buying). That’s good value for a hard to find album, and the easiest way to buy, as it’s not in UK shops, and there are very few (if any) copies available through the Amazon marketplace or eBay. My copy was bought for me by a fellow fan and Ciaoer (thanks again, BabyGirl!) and cost more to buy in a US record shop than it costs to have sent via the site.
We’re really about the only people who would find interest in this album. If you’re dedicated to Branch, go for it. If you’re not a fan at all, buy “The Spirit Room” instead, and you soon may well be. If you already own either that of “Hotel Paper”, and aren’t particularly impressed with them, I’d advise you to stay well clear of this one, as you’ll likely be even less impressed.
Pictures of Broken Bracelet - Michelle Branch
CD Cover
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never heard of this album but since i have "the spirit room" it sounds like a bit of a waste of money to buy this too. paula x
Invisible_Friend 16.01.2005 12:12
Must track this down, I love Michelle Branch, great review
whoopidoo 18.08.2004 23:14
I seem to be seeing her name everywhere at the moment but can't for the life of me think if I have heard any of her stuff. So many Cd's I want to try and your review has got me middling between insane curiosity and a deep urge to walk away. Humph. May have to try just to see. Great review. Cam x
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