The Internet has changed the World in so many ways and for a 25-year-old Singer/Songwriter called Sandi Thom it even made her a Star. It gave her both a number one Single and Album in the UK Music Charts and a huge Worldwide hit Single with her Song "I wish I was a punkrocker (with flowers in my hair)."
Alexandria "Sandi" Thom released her debut Single "I wish I was a punkrocker (With flowers in my hair) in the October of 2005. Helped by a certain amount of Radio Airplay this Single reached the lower part of the UK Singles Chart.
Following on from this Sandi embarked on a low-key UK tour. It is said that she had the idea of broadcasting these Gigs via her Webcam from the bedroom of her flat in Tooting. The result was phenomenal, from 70 viewers for the early Gigs her Internet audience rapidly grew to 70,000 viewers from all around the World.
Sceptics however believe that the Webcam theory is flawed and these broadcasts were the result of a cleverly organised publicity stunt from her Record Company. Whichever version of events that you choose to believe is now pretty much irrelevant since this stunt led to the re-release of "I wish I was a punkrocker (with flowers in my hair) and earned her a major record deal with EMI. Second time around this Single topped the
UK Charts and spent ten consecutive weeks at the top of the Australian Charts.
Striking whilst the Iron was hot as the saying goes, Sandi quickly followed up this Single success with her debut Album called "Smile, It confuses people."
It is very rare that I would consider buying an Album simply on the strength of hearing just one Song from an Artist that I knew nothing about but on hearing a second Song called "What If I'm Right" I had no hesitation in parting with my hard earned cash.
This Album contains ten tracks as below:
When Horsepower meant what it said I wish I was a punkrocker (with flowers in my hair) Lonely Girl Sunset Borderline Little Remedy Castles What If I'm Right Superman Human Jukebox Time
The Album opens with the rather oddly titled Song called "When Horsepower meant what it said". This is a superb opening track and definitely one of the strongest tracks on the Album. Here Sandi's voice is quite deep and husky, complimenting a strumming Guitar as her vocals rise and fall, skipping along to the rhythm.
If you had to put Sandi Thom into a Musical Genre then on the strength of this track you would have little doubt in attaching the Folk label, but just before you do, the Song picks up pace crossing dangerously close to Rock.
Next up we have the slightly more laid back "I wish I was a punkrocker (with flowers in my hair) which sees Thom reminiscing about the World before the Internet and Mobile Phones. Since She was born in 1981 it is somewhat ironic but this is a very catchy Song and along with the opening track on the Album one of my favourites here.
The third Song "Lonely Girl" slows down the pace vocally somewhat but musically seems to be overproduced to the point where the vocals almost disappear into obscurity and as a result this is by no means a standout track like its predecessors. Instead it is a messy song that sits uncomfortably after such a promising start.
Sadly the next two Songs "Sunset Borderline" and "Little Remedy" also do little to convince me that this is the superb debut Album that I thought it was going to be, but just as I am starting to feel disappointed we are treated to two more gems in the form of "Castles" and "What if I'm right."
"Castles" is quite a moving Song with a superb melody and vocal arrangement whilst "What if I'm right" with its catchy hook was an obvious choice for the second Single to be to lifted from this Album. It reached number 22 in the UK Charts at the back end of last year.
Sadly the rest of the Album slips away again leaving nothing memorable and leaving me feeling slightly disappointed and cheated that this is not the superb CD that it could have so easily been.
Sandi Thom is clearly an incredibly talented Singer/Songwriter whose lyrics tell stories of a life that she yearns to have lived. Of how she would have loved to have been a Hippy in '69 or a Punk Rocker in '77 if only she hadn't been born too late. Since she wasn't born back then I suspect that some of this inspiration probably comes from listening to Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan records, something that has given her an understanding and an intelligence well beyond her years.
Thom's raw vocal emotion has been likened to many different female vocalists including Janis Joplin and Sheryl Crow, in a desperate attempt by people in the Music business to Pigeon-hole her into one single category and it has been said that the opening track "When Horsepower meant what it said" bears more than a passing resemblance to a KT Tunstall Song called "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree."
It is true that Sandi Thom offers nothing original here but when on form She is excellent, comfortably switching between Folk and Country, and even edging towards Rock.
"Smile, it confuses people" is an interesting debut Album that has left me completely in love with four of its tracks. Unfortunately however I feel that the remaining six Songs let the overall Album down.
With the ability to turn out such classic tunes, albeit not consistently, I am hopeful that there will be lessons learned from the Album and that a much more consistent second Album will follow. If this happens, only time will tell, but for the moment I remain hopeful, and convinced that Sandi Thom will be around for a fair while to come.
Thank you for reading.
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Great review there mate. My 4 year old loves the punk rocker song and will often "perform" it for everyone when it comes on the stereo. Must get the album for her - Di xx
Allyalcock 23.02.2007 00:26
Not my kind of music but great review all the same! Alison x
Feb 20th, 2007
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