Taylor Swift - Taylor Swift

I first heard of Taylor Swift when I heard "Teardrops on My Guitar" on internet radio and promptly downloaded it. A few months later I heard "Our Song" and read an interview in a magazine as her debut album was to be reissued. Well, here it is, and I certainly wasn't disappointed.

For those of you who are not familiar with her, Taylor is quickly making a big name for herself in the country music world - and she's ...
...is a slower song which Taylor wrote in 15 minutes about someone she was dating who was moving away, and how she hoped he'd remember her when he thought of Tim McGraw (who sings her favourite song).
8/10

2. Picture To Burn
One of my favourites, which Taylor claims she wrote because if you're going to be mean to her, she's going to write a song about you! It's a real in-your-face kind of song aimed at a guy and is a lot ... more

I first heard of Taylor Swift when I heard "Teardrops on My Guitar" on internet radio and promptly downloaded it. A few months later I heard "Our Song" and read an interview in a magazine as her debut album was to be reissued. Well, here it is, and I certainly wasn't disappointed.

For those of you who are not familiar with her, Taylor is quickly making a big name for herself in the country music world - and she's only 18! After setting out to Nashville at the age of 13 from her home in Pennsylvania, she quickly snapped up a record contract and her debut single Tim McGraw was released in 2006, and to date all three of her singles have made not only the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot Country Songs (Our Song reaching number one), but also the Top 40 of the Billboard 100. This self-titled album, first released in 2006 and reissued in late 2007 with bonus tracks, has now been certified double platinum. She has toured with Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, George Strait and Brad Paisley. Oh, and she writes and plays her own songs.

So now you've got some background, how about the CD? I wont be reviewing the reissue due to the fact that I downloaded the songs and the newer version contains a second disc featuring videos of performances and behind-the-scenes footage which I don't have.

Track listing:

1. Tim McGraw
Appropriately starting with her first single, this is a slower song which Taylor wrote in 15 minutes about someone she was dating who was moving away, and how she hoped he'd remember her when he thought of Tim McGraw (who sings her favourite song).
8/10

2. Picture To Burn
One of my favourites, which Taylor claims she wrote because if you're going to be mean to her, she's going to write a song about you! It's a real in-your-face kind of song aimed at a guy and is a lot louder and faster than the rest of the first half of the CD, which is needed otherwise I think it might start to drag by the time another fast song came.
9/10

3. Teardrops On My Guitar
The song that first made me notice Taylor, although now not a favourite, this was her second single. It's a slower song about unrequited love.
7/10

4 A Place In This World
Written about Taylor's move to Nashville and trying to figure out her place in the world (as the title suggests!) this is another fairly slow song, but gets a bit louder and more upbeat in the chorus. Not a favourite but not bad.
8/10

5 Cold As You
A song about realising someone isn't who you think they are. Taylor says it's some of the writing she's proudest of, but for me it's kind of forgettable, although it does show off her vocals well.
6/10

6 The Outside
A song about being an outcast, written because of her childhood spent singing in bars rather than spending time with people her own age. Again, a little forgettable, in fact in listening to this CD a good few times, I couldn't really remember it when coming to write this review. Listening again, it's actually a pretty good song!
8/10

7 Tied Together With A Smile
A song about putting on a brave face when everything is falling apart, Taylor wrote this about a friend who she discovered was suffering from an eating disorder. It's an okay song, but by now the CD is really needing another strong song.
6/10

8 Stay Beautiful
A simple song about having a crush on a guy, it's quite cheerful and easy to listen to.
8/10

9 Should've Said No
Finally a louder one, a song about how everyone makes bad decisions. Well, putting this song on the CD wasn't one of them! It's hard to listen to this without singing along.
9/10

10 Mary's Song (Oh My My My)
This song is written looking back from the perspective of an old woman about her husband who she has known since childhood. Taylor wrote it about a couple who lived next door and have known each other forever. It's a really cute song and tells a nice story.
9/10

11 Our Song
Love it! Her third single and first number one, this is really catchy (I defy you to get it out of your head after listening to it!) and upbeat, it's just a really fun song and the lyrics are very relatable .
10/10

A song I downloaded which didn't make it to the CD (either version) is I'd Lie. I downloaded the tracks seperately and don't have them in the right order on my iPod, so when I looked up the track listing I was surprised it didn't make it onto either version over, in my opinion, weaker songs such as tracks 5 and 7, although maybe that's just me!

While vocally she's fairly unremarkable - yes Taylor can sing very well but it doesn't blow me away, although the songs are arranged very well to suit her voice - it's the originality and in the lyrics that I like most about this album. You can tell she is young by the subjects she writes about, and that is refreshing because so often country music is all doom and gloom and going to get drunk because somebody ran off with your wife, that type of thing. Yes, not all the songs are happy, but they don't make you want to slit your wrists, and she manages to make them peppy (eg Picture To Burn). The way she writes shows maturity beyond her years and she is definitely a face to watch out for.

If you like Taylor Swift, you might also be interested in Miranda Lambert, who constantly being compared to her and is probably her biggest competition in that particular corner of the market being a young country singer-songwriter. It's hard for me to choose a favourite as Miranda is a lot rockier and probably has the better voice, but per CD there are fewer songs of hers I really love.

I downloaded this CD for free through Limewire, but it can be found at Amazon for £18.49 or on iTunes for £7.99. For some reason the deluxe edition with DVD is cheaper at £17.99! There's no doubt that is really expensive for a CD, but as of yet it is only available in the UK as an import, so much as I like it, I'd stick to download for now! 

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