False Smiles - Amy Studt

I have always been a sucker for a reject or a popstar-in-distress. Consequently my CD collection is a bit like a popstar’s graveyard, featuring more unknowns and has-beens
than this year’s Celebirty Big Brother. Struggling popstars from all over the world gradually make their way to unite on my CD rack and reside there in peace, safe in the knowledge that, though they have battled cancelled tours, unkind managers and
worldwide ...
...value and worth is fully appreciated.

Over the years I have considered the possibility that it is maybe not me who comes to the rescue of these unfortunate singers at all, maybe I do not, as I presumed, hear some silent death call emitted from these popstars which prompts me to rush out and attempt some form of rescue mission, but rather, conversely, my seal of approval acts as something of a death warrant to ailing postars. These ... more

I have always been a sucker for a reject or a popstar-in-distress. Consequently my CD collection is a bit like a popstar’s graveyard, featuring more unknowns and has-beens
than this year’s Celebirty Big Brother. Struggling popstars from all over the world gradually make their way to unite on my CD rack and reside there in peace, safe in the knowledge that, though they have battled cancelled tours, unkind managers and
worldwide rejection, they have finally reached a place where their true value and worth is fully appreciated.

Over the years I have considered the possibility that it is maybe not me who comes to the rescue of these unfortunate singers at all, maybe I do not, as I presumed, hear some silent death call emitted from these popstars which prompts me to rush out and attempt some form of rescue mission, but rather, conversely, my seal of approval acts as something of a death warrant to ailing postars. These young talents emerge on the scene full of hopes and aspirations and full of life. Then I strike. I hear the single and I think “This song is quite good”. The first blow is dealt. It’s not fatal as yet, there’s still a chance of recovery, don't worry. But then I seal their fate, I utter those fatal words - “I really like this group/singer/artsist”. Their future, it seems, is doomed.

Bearing all of this in mind, it was hardly a surprise to me when after buying Amy Studt’s album she promptly disappeared, never to be seen or heard of again (except by her family and friends, I presume)! However, surprised I was not, but disappointed? Immensely. Of all the many, many talents that I have seen fall by the wayside, Amy Studt’s career is one that I have mourned the most and she is undoubteadly one of the most talented of the lot. What I was most disappointed about regarding the downfall of this artist is that basically she is just supremely talented and I could not understand what went wrong for her. It makes me quite sad to think that Amy has such a great voice, more talent for song writing than many, many artists who make it (she has written every single song on this album), plays her own instruments on her songs (she even taught herself how to play the piano) and yet all this talent means nothing and amounts to not much at all if the public don’t buy her music.

A sixteen year old Amy Studt first burst on to the music scene in 2002 with her single “Just A Little Girl”, which was a great success and shown repeatedly on the music channels, eventually reaching number 14 in the UK charts (it was also released in America). I expected another single immediately but, strangely, Amy then promptly disappeared. I, presumably along with everyone else who had loved her first single,
began to forget about Amy and the much-anticipated second single. Then, suddenly, in 2003, Amy was back with two new singles of equal success (reaching number six and number ten in the charts) followed by a new album (which reached number eighteen in the official UK charts). I, of course, always willing to support a new artist and with a love of her first three singles in mind alongside a need to liven up my tired old CD collection, rushed to the shops to buy it (I needn’t have rushed, the anticipated fight for the last precious copy was sadly not realised). I, truthfully, didn’t expect too much from the album - probably just the singles and a few pleasant fillers - but I did my part and I carried my new purchase home for a listen.

I listened to the album as soon as I got home and once I got past the two exceptional first singles I was very, very surprised. I had known, from the singles, that Amy was a very talented singer, but I had not realised that she also wrote all of her own songs. On top of this they were, shock horror, all really really good. The songs basically ranged from great to exceptional, with no fillers to be found.

Amy’s sound is probably best described as pop/rock and I have heard her compared to a vast array of people including Tori Amos, Courtney Love, Alanis Morissette and a pre-Avril Lavigne Avril Lavigne. Her album is quite quirky and unusual with poppy anthems sandwiched between haunting ballads and more rocky tracks. Her upbeat, feel-good chorus’s actually conceal meaningful lyrics of heartbreak, disappointment and despondency, which I thought was quite unusual yet also effective (a change from either an album of depressing ballads or upbeat songs about men, love and nothing much else).

This album was from the start a welcome addition to my CD collection, being completely different from most of my albums by pretty, blonde female soloists and equally pretty boybands (the type of people that Amy actually appears to mock in her songs) and it was quite a refreshing change. It was also unusual at the time to have a British artist featuring in my music collection.

Amy is incredibly talented and I expected her to be a success. With my track record as a pop-career-destroyer, I suppose that I really should have known better. Following this debut album Amy promptly fell of the planet (I imagine) and I have not heard anything of her since.

So Amy is gone, but she is not forgotten, at least not by me. Consequently, I feel that it is my duty to inform the public of what is one of the best albums in my entire CD collection and to spread the word of this amazing (homegrown) talent. If you ever find yourself looking for an unusual album of diverse, exceptional quality songs, then please consider Amy Studt. She may have not quite made it in the world of music, for whatever reason, but if success was in any way reflective of talent then Amy would deffinitely be up there with the best.

So while I sit and await a comeback I will have to make do with this gem of an album, and hope that you will also give it a try.

JUST A LITTLE GIRL-
I love this song. It was Amy’s first ever single and preceded the second single and the album by a year. I first heard it when I was revising for my GCSEs (flicking through the music channels for some distraction) and I loved it immediately. I love the music at the beginning (which sounds like “Big World” by Emilia, I am unsure whether this is intentional) and the slow verses that launch in to an upbeat, strong chorus. I think Amy is making a bid to be taken more seriously - “Don’t ever underestimate what I can do/Don’t ever tell me how I’m meant to be” - and she sets these lyrics off with a strong chorus and great vocals. It is very upbeat and catchy and one of the best
tracks on the album.

MISFIT-
The second track, and second single, from the album is very pop in sound but with quite heartfelt and meaningful lyrics which I actually take objection to. Amy is criticising in the song (and the accompanying video, which is not on the CD but I
remember vividly from the time) girls whose only crime appears to be wearing hotpants and dressing nicely - “So you think you’ve got it all worked out/You got your hotpants on/You got your arse right out... you look and flip your hair”. She is claiming to be a misfit who has tried their way of thinking - “I spent so long trying to fit the prototype/I kept slipping on my heels and I never got it right” - but she has now reached the conclusion that she is better off than they are - “So keep doing what you’re doing down there coz I’ll be flying higher/waste your time I don’t care/anything you can do I can do better”. There’s nothing like a bit of confidence and self-acceptance
but I, personally, am not in the habit of criticising other people for how they choose to live and despite dubbing these girls “superficial” in her lyrics, isn’t Amy being quite superficial
herself in judging people based on how they dress and reaching a conclusion that they will stay “down there” while she “flies higher” simply because these girls choose to wear
pink and hotpants and she doesn't? Despite this, you can’t help but like this song, it is very poppy and the chorus is unbelievably catchy, I always find myself singing along despite myself.

UNDER THE THUMB-
This is probably one of the best songs on the album. It is quite pop but with a bit of pop/rock edge (I hesitate to say rock since it is a mile away from what most people would consider rock, but it is not cheesy pop either). It’s about finally coming to the
realisation that you have been under the thumb in a relationship - “But I didn’t even see that we were playing games of under the thumb”. It is really catchy and also quite
upbeat and summery ironically, as the lyrics are anything but. Also the video, if you have seen it, is quite creepy as Amy is getting her own back and has her boyfriend tied up as a prisoner in her room. But let’s not dwell too long on that!

IF ONLY-
This is probably my least favourite song on the album but it is still really good. It is not as catchy as the others but it is a pretty ballad type song, I suppose, as in the vocals are pretty and gentle but the music is not very “ballady” in the traditional sense. It is a nice listenable track.

BEAUTIFUL LIE-
I love this song! The lyrics are quite interesting - “You run away, cause you can’t take the way they make you feel/Another self hate behind locked doors/But then nobody knows something’s wrong/You made the cage that you cannot break”. The chorus is also very catchy and again sounds quite upbeat even though the song is anything but.

LADDER IN MY TIGHTS-
Amy sounds really good on this, her voice is very adaptable and she sounds very pretty and girly in the verse but then launches in to a more rocky, shouty chorus. This song is quite good but the sound is quite similar to some of the other tracks and the lyrics are VERY similar to those of “Misfit”. Again Amy, who seems to harbour a lot of anger towards those hotpant-wearing girls out there, is ranting about how good it is to be a misfit - “The world feels so much better when you find that you don’t fit/There’s a ladder in your tights and who gives a **** if woops you aint shiney and perfect”. Methinks the lady does protest too much. Despite this this is a very upbeat, feel-good, catchy pop song.

CARRY ME AWAY-
Amy’s voice sounds amazing in this song. It is a really nice change from the pop/rock type songs. It is an unusual song that again I hesitate to call a ballad, although it has ballad elements to it. Despite the gentle, sweet vocals and gentle verses it is has quite a catchy chorus. It is basically a really nice song, well worth a listen.

HAPPY NOW-
This is another sad song about a break up and being hurt and used - “I had so much to give but you didn’t have to take it all”. She again turns the tables on the man involved, however, as the lyrics then change to “I wonder are you still happy now now that I’ve left you... what goes around, comes around”. This is a true ballad, Amy’s sombre vocals reflect a lot of pain and the true sentiment of the lyrics. It is quite instrumental and dark and a really good, unusual song.

GONNA BE FINE-
This is my absolute favourite song on the album! It is another ballad and Amy’s voice again sounds amazing! She reaches unbelievably high notes in the chorus and shows off an amazing range in her voice. It reflects again on all the hard times that Amy, presumably, has faced - “Constantly, finding ways to fill the empty space/But still it seems that nothing touches you any more”. But it has a positive, feel-good chorus -
“Cause at the end of the day you’re one step closer to finding your own way and although you might think you’re out of time you’re gonna be fine”. It is a really beautiful song that actually makes me want to cry a little bit (a bit pathetic, hey?). When I first got the album I used to play this one over and over again because I love it so much. Unfortunately it’s not one that I can sing along to, not having Amy’s vocal range (I do like to have a good singalong, imagining myself as the next as-yet-undiscovered Britney Spears! Who knows, it could happen!) but I just like to listen to this, it’s really moving and lovely.

SUPERIOR MIND-
This is another pop/rock song with an upbeat, catchy chorus. It’s a really good song and well worth a listen, it’s a real feel good song (in sound though not in lyrics). Amy expresses her disappointment in the world once again - “Every day I’m more disappointed by the world and I’m losing my faith” - but again she seems to do this in such an upbeat, reassuring way that it’s not a problem and does not sound whiny at all.

GOING OUT OF MY MIND-
I like this song, it is another one about a break-up (surprise!) with sombre verses and a catchy pop chorus. It is not just an extension of the other tracks however. Each song on the album is very different and I think that this, along with every track,
adds something to the album and each is a success in its own right.

SECONDS AWAY-
This is a sombre, unusual song about being in love - “Count the seconds away to the sound of your heart/What a beautiful day to get lost in the dark”. The lyrics are quite truthful and heartfelt and this is quite a rocky song with a strong baseline and a dark wistful sound to it, very different to the usual upbeat love songs that you normally hear. It is a great song and nice to hear Amy reflect on a different subject from sadness and heartbreak, although based on the music and sound of this song you might presume, ironically, that this is what she is singing about.

TESTIFY-
This song is a bit of a slow-starter but I love the chorus. It is the most rocky sound on the album and the chorus is really strong. The lyrics are quite meaningful as always - “You could say that I’ve made it but I’m jaded and inside I’m falling”. It is a really
strong, powerful song and I love it.

NOBODY-
This is one of my least favourite songs on the album, I suppose. It is has quite a strong chorus but I think you need something special to hold the listener’s attention by the
end of an album and unfortunately this probably isn’t it. The lyrics are expressing more pain and sadness - Nobody knows and nobody cares that I die, on the inside” - and it is a good song really, but it just probably is not the strongest track on the album.

TRACKS-
-JUST A LITTLE GIRL
-MISFIT
-UNDER THE THUMB
-IF ONLY
-BEAUTIFUL LIE
- LADDER IN MY TIGHTS
-CARRY ME AWAY
- HAPPY NOW
- GONNA BE FINE
- SUPERIOR MIND
- GOING OUT OF MY MIND
- SECONDS AWAY
- TESTIFY
- NOBODY

SUMMARY-
If you like your pop with a rock edge, you like well-rounded singer/songwriter/musicians, or you just fancy something a bit different and high quality, then this is for you! Go on, buy it, what have you got to lose?

 

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