Katie Melua…ahhhh, that girl with the warble who likes to count the number of various modes of transport, in foreign climates…ah the joys of metaphorical lyrical creations (of course, I'm referring to one of her biggest hits '9 million bicycles (in Beijing)' (released in 2005). How clever she is to do all that counting. One of the ever growing number of Brit school graduates (along with fellow pupils Kate Nash, Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis to name a few), this singer/songwriter is a force to be reckoned with, gaining a massive fan base after only 5 years and three albums in the industry.
Who is she? Full name Ketevan and of Georgian (Russian) decent, she first hit our musical realms in 2003, at the tender age of 19, with her debut hit album 'Call Off The Search'. She has since released 2 more albums. 'Piece by Piece' which has gone 4 times platinum and in October 2007, she released 'Pictures'. Amongst other high profile media outings, Melua took part in BandAid20 for the 'new' (and somewhat controversial) version of 'Do They Know It's Christmas Time' and has also been associated with numerous charity events, including Nelson Mandela's charity concerts and a goodwill ambassador for 'Save The Children'. Anyway…enough background…on with the album.
Track listing: 1. "Mary Pickford (Used to Eat Roses)" - 3:12 2. "All in My Head" - 4:03 3. "If the Lights Go Out" - 3:14 4. "What I Miss About You" - 3:48 5.
"Spellbound" - 3:00 6. "What It Says on the Tin" - 3:44 7. "Scary Films" - 4:02 8. "Perfect Circle" - 4:01 9. "Ghost Town" - 3:31 10. "If You Were a Sailboat" - 4:02 11. "Dirty Dice" - 3:39 12. "In My Secret Life" - 4:23
What do I think?: With an album at just under 45 minutes, one has to ask the question, am I really getting value for money…and well…with the inclusion of some good tracks, yes you are, however, I would want more good tracks to justify the expense of the CD. But having gone 2 times platinum, it's definitely worth a listen…
The first track 'Mary Pickford' (2nd single, released in November 2007) is rather strange sounding at first, but on a few listens, the beauty can be appreciated more, I feel. This song is about Mary Pickford, the 1910s film actress. There is a real folky feel here, the sort of music you would want to play in the background as you spend a lazy Sunday, relaxing in a nice bath with a nice glass of red wine. As the album progresses, more instruments are introduced, with the inclusion, for example of the electric guitar, however, it is still used a mellow and laid back tone. This is followed by the sadly forgettable 'All In My Head'.
One of my favourite tracks is the third 'If The Lights Go Out' (her 3rd single from this album, released in February 2008). Whilst Melua has a very distinctive tonal voice quality, that can induce the ability of one to switch off from whatever you're doing, this song also has a more uptempo feel to it, that is definitely more radio friendly and has a more 'singalong-ability'. The lyrics are simple, yet have a hint of profundity that is undeniable:
Well I'm gonna try for all I'm worth, To stay with you till the end of the earth. Don't let me down, Don't let your feelings win. Don't give out, and don't give in, Don't think about tomorrow.
Ok, well maybe not THAT profound, but definitely a lot stronger than 'baby baby baby, I love you yeah yeah yeah'. That's something I have grown accustomed to in her songs. She may not have the best lyrics in the world, but they do certainly have levels that one can admire or simple pass over. If you prefer more melancholy sounding songs that can let you ponder life, then you may prefer 'What I Miss About You' (4th single, to be released this month). There is something certainly haunting, from the delivery of this lovely song. We hear Melua, possibly at her best here, as she finds her way through the melody with absolute commitment to the sentiment of the song. She muses about the small things that she misses about her lover - like how he soaks himself in his over-priced cologne (!) Musically 'Spellbound' lifts the mood somewhat, then 'What It Says On The Tin' brings us back down into the pensive state of mild melancholy as we sit back and pour our second glass of vino and let her vocal wash through.
I find something rather strange about the 7th track, entitled 'Scary Film', one can almost imagine how this should sound…perhaps slightly uptempo with a few strange and unusual musical noises here and there…well yes, that's what we get. It's at this point the album takes a slight twist of style. This takes us nicely into the almost country sounding 'Perfect Circle'. Melua has one of those voices that no matter if the genre she is singing isn't to your tastes, her voice and approach to the song allows you find a comfortable place to listen to it. I hate country music, and whilst this song isn't pure 'country' by any means, normally I would hate this track, but there's something almost hypnotic in her voice that makes me listen and indeed, want to listen.
As we reach the end of the album, we get to the almost ska tainted song 'Ghost Town'. This is not one of my favourites, there's an annoying rift in the background that reminds me of early 80s reggae songs that I hated back then, and still do. This is the one to skip on the album. The 10th track 'If You We A Sailboat' (the 1st single from this album, released in November 2007) certainly is a lot better than the previous…and once more, we have Melua at her metaphoric best singing about how if her lover was a sailboat she would…if he was a cowboy she would…a piece of wood she would…you get the idea. The song reads as a monotonous list. If you know any kids doing their SATS or GCSEs they may be able to nab a few examples of her similes here…nice to know this song is good for something. The mexican sounding 'Dirty Dice' and the paceless 'In My Secret Life' close the album.
Conclusion: So what have we learnt today? Well…whilst her lyrics and song titles can appear somewhat odd and off the cuff, there is no escaping the way that this album can change your mood and put you in spirits for relaxation. I'm not a huge fan of this album, a lot of it is samey samey, but I do admit that it is one of those albums that you can put on and chill out to, or perhaps at a dinner party in the background.
As her song title says 'what it says on tin', this tin/album says 'Katie Melau' and that says to me, nice album, but no massive leaps of musical genius. It's just…nice.
The album can be brought from all good music outlets and you should be able to buy for around 9GBP.
For more information check out her website: www.katiemelua.com
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