Pictures - Katie Melua > Reviews > Not spellbound, but a good album!

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Average
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Katie Melua's same style and vocals
Disadvantages:	Songs are not as memorable as previous albums

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I've been a big fan of Katie Melua ever since her first number one single in the UK "Closest thing to crazy". It was very refreshing to come across a solo female artist with such a distinct smooth voice and now so many years on after all her success it is easy to recognise a Katie Melua vocal when you hear one. Inspired by artists such as Eva Cassidy, Katie plays guitar and sings thoughtful songs. After her fantastic album "Call off the search" I also bought "Piece by Piece" which I thought was in many ways superior to her previous album as it had some darker, sadder songs on it. Now this is the third offering from the artist and even though I have only listened to it a few times I'm a bit disappointed. I found that the songs weren't as catchy and easy to get into as the previous albums, but admittedly they are of the same style with a couple of amazing songs, such as her recent single "If you were a sailboat".

Here is what I thought about all the songs on the album:

1. "Mary Pickford" 5/10. This is probably one of my least favourites on the album but a good opener. I like that it is light-hearted and jazzy but it has some bizarre lyrics about Charlie Chaplain and Mary who ate roses to make her beautiful. Lots of other people mentioned in the lyrics too who I hadn't heard about so the lyrics didn't appeal to me. Musically quite simplistic too! But if you want something light and carefree this is the track for you.

2. "All in my head" 7/10 This is quite an easy going track with great guitar solos and Katie singing her usual style. The song is romantic and haunting but quite upbeat at the same time. Not too memorable though, and doesn't really have a stand out chorus.

3. "If the lights go out" 9/10 I love this song, it is one of the best on the album. This is a song very similar to "Nine million bicycles" from the previous album. The song is about being optimistic despite being mortal as there is so much to achieve (e.g. love). It has a fantastic chorus: "And if the lights go out on all of us, In just a year or two. And if the sky falls down like pouring rain, Then I'll be here with you.I'll go down with you." Very uplifting and memorable!

4. "What I miss about you" 8/10 This is a very sweet gentle song about missing the the simple unique things about a loved one, things you wouldn't have realised at the time. But also reflecting on all the bad things too, ultimately showing how well you know the person you split up with. It is a soothing song with a chorus that shows off Katie Melua's voice amazingly,

5. "Spellbound" 9/10 A funky upbeat song with a very distinct chorus and romantic lyrics that aren't too serious. I could imagine this in a cheesy chick flick film! I like how her voice actually goes really high when she sings "high". A memorable song!

6. "What it says on the tin" 6/10 I don't like this song too much - it is very slow and doesn't really have a distinct melody. It's similar to some of the slow songs on her original album e.g. "faraway voice" but I feel they had a stronger melody than this one, and this one is ultimately quite forgettable. Great as background music though!

7. "Scary films" 6/10 Quite a funny song! Mentions lots of scary stuff so lightly (e.g. "the psychopathic wife kills the husband with a knife", "peoples' heads end up being torn to shreds"). Wouldn't have expected lyrics like that from Katie, but it's a fun enough song I suppose.

8. "Perfect Circle" 7/10 Another upbeat song with a happy beat but not too memorable.

9. "Ghost Town" As above!

10. "If you were a sailboat" 10/10 This was the released single and my favourite song of the album. The lyrics are simple and sweet (though I do worry about ones such as "If you were a piece of wood I'd nail you") and the song is beautiful with such a wonderful tune. You should also see the video for this song if you get a chance, it's quite pretty!

11. "In my secret life" 6/10 This is a sweet smooth song, but like some of the others above is a bit of a filler that isn't too memorable.

12. "Dirty Dice" 7/10 I love the atmosphere of this song and the the exotic and jazzy instrumentals. The chorus is more memorable than the previous song and I feel this could grow on me with a few more listens. Lyrics are quite cool too ("With the roll of my dirty dice,
I'm only following the devil's advice, I'll take your love and leave my kind regards, But I never cheat at cards."

Overall a fair album which could have done without so many fillers! If you liked this album and haven't heard the previous ones, I highly recommend them as they are far superior. This one still has the same amazing vocals but the songs aren't as memorable so, except for a few great tracks, would probably be better off as background music! I also recommend you check out her most recent single which was number one in the UK charts - "What a Wonderful World", a duet with the late Eva Cassidy. It is marvellous!