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Music from the Cube: What Am I Listening To Today?
I love it when I get a lovely surprise. In this case, a CD that completely lives up to its billing of awesomeness.
Below the cut, KT Tunstall's Eye to the Telescope and my usual MP3 sample downloads.
KT Tunstall, Eye to the Telescope Rating=$$$$
[Support the Artist]
How I Got This CD: After staring at this CD for for several months, I gave in to temptation and paid full price at my local Starbuck's.
Tunstall showcases it all on her debut album, Eye to the Telescope. She has a gorgeous alto voice that would be perfectly at home in soft jazz or blues. Her music is a catchy blend of pop-folk. Her lyrics are quicksilver clever supported by hummable, catchy tunes. The singing-songwriting talent is supported by some solid guitar and piano work, along with good backing musicians and singers. This CD is a strong freshman effort that hints at a big career up ahead. The last time I got this excited about a new female solo artist, I was starting at Shawn Colvin's Steady On wondering where the hell she'd been all my life.
Or it could be, like in the case of Colvin, I'm at a point in my life when I'm pretty open to Tunstall's music and themes.
In either case, I would highly recommend tossing some cash Tunstall's way. The whole CD has a nice flow and there really isn't a dud track in the entire bunch. The only thing keeping this from a 5-rating is that the center of the CD sags slightly as the slower, more thoughtful tunes take center stage during the back 6 of this 12-track CD. It's only a minor thing on what is otherwise a fabulous CD. Don't let this deter you at all from adding this CD to your collection.
Of the CD downloads below, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" has been played in heavy rotation on adult contemporary and AOR-oriented radio stations in the New England region. "Suddenly I See" has just recently started popping up on the radio playlists of these same stations. These are terrific songs for cheering you up and getting you to butt-dance in the seat. Both of these songs, especially "Suddenly I See," never fail to bring a smile to my face. "Another Place to Fall" and "Miniature Disasters" are solid tracks that better highlight Tunstall's jazzy vocals and bluesy sensibility than the other two pop-infused offerngs.
Sample Song Downloads: Another Place to Fall, Miniature Disasters, Black Horse and the Cherry Tree, Suddenly I See
You can download all files from the project page by clicking here.
***
To find previous thumbnail reviews, go to the Review Index.
After the donwload links expire, you can listen to streaming MP3 files linked with reviews at my Vox shadow blog for media.
***
Rating system:
None = Avoid at all cost. Worth cutting your ears off to avoid if someone threatens to play it for you. When faced with even the threat of its cellophane-wrapped presence, your best option is to RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!
$= If you stumble across it for cheap in a used bin, it might, maybe, perhaps could be worth the buy, but only if you need a cheap coaster for your cold drinks or a cool-looking frisbee.
$$= You might want to give this CD/artist a try, but only if the sample track tickles your fancy. Don't bother buying this one new because the good tunes you'd get out of this one ain't worth that kind of money.
$$$ = Worth looking for on a casual basis and maybe even buying new, but no big rush.
$$$$ = Definitely worth having in the ol' CD collection and definitely worth buying new, but don't re-arrange your personal "must have" list to get your hands on it.
$$$$$ = Why haven't you bought this CD yet? Go. This is a "Want. Take. Have." situation because you so want this.
Now Playing:
Below the cut, KT Tunstall's Eye to the Telescope and my usual MP3 sample downloads.
KT Tunstall, Eye to the Telescope Rating=$$$$
[Support the Artist]
How I Got This CD: After staring at this CD for for several months, I gave in to temptation and paid full price at my local Starbuck's.
Tunstall showcases it all on her debut album, Eye to the Telescope. She has a gorgeous alto voice that would be perfectly at home in soft jazz or blues. Her music is a catchy blend of pop-folk. Her lyrics are quicksilver clever supported by hummable, catchy tunes. The singing-songwriting talent is supported by some solid guitar and piano work, along with good backing musicians and singers. This CD is a strong freshman effort that hints at a big career up ahead. The last time I got this excited about a new female solo artist, I was starting at Shawn Colvin's Steady On wondering where the hell she'd been all my life.
Or it could be, like in the case of Colvin, I'm at a point in my life when I'm pretty open to Tunstall's music and themes.
In either case, I would highly recommend tossing some cash Tunstall's way. The whole CD has a nice flow and there really isn't a dud track in the entire bunch. The only thing keeping this from a 5-rating is that the center of the CD sags slightly as the slower, more thoughtful tunes take center stage during the back 6 of this 12-track CD. It's only a minor thing on what is otherwise a fabulous CD. Don't let this deter you at all from adding this CD to your collection.
Of the CD downloads below, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" has been played in heavy rotation on adult contemporary and AOR-oriented radio stations in the New England region. "Suddenly I See" has just recently started popping up on the radio playlists of these same stations. These are terrific songs for cheering you up and getting you to butt-dance in the seat. Both of these songs, especially "Suddenly I See," never fail to bring a smile to my face. "Another Place to Fall" and "Miniature Disasters" are solid tracks that better highlight Tunstall's jazzy vocals and bluesy sensibility than the other two pop-infused offerngs.
Sample Song Downloads: Another Place to Fall, Miniature Disasters, Black Horse and the Cherry Tree, Suddenly I See
You can download all files from the project page by clicking here.
To find previous thumbnail reviews, go to the Review Index.
After the donwload links expire, you can listen to streaming MP3 files linked with reviews at my Vox shadow blog for media.
Rating system:
None = Avoid at all cost. Worth cutting your ears off to avoid if someone threatens to play it for you. When faced with even the threat of its cellophane-wrapped presence, your best option is to RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!
$= If you stumble across it for cheap in a used bin, it might, maybe, perhaps could be worth the buy, but only if you need a cheap coaster for your cold drinks or a cool-looking frisbee.
$$= You might want to give this CD/artist a try, but only if the sample track tickles your fancy. Don't bother buying this one new because the good tunes you'd get out of this one ain't worth that kind of money.
$$$ = Worth looking for on a casual basis and maybe even buying new, but no big rush.
$$$$ = Definitely worth having in the ol' CD collection and definitely worth buying new, but don't re-arrange your personal "must have" list to get your hands on it.
$$$$$ = Why haven't you bought this CD yet? Go. This is a "Want. Take. Have." situation because you so want this.
Now Playing:
my music discovery for the day
Re: my music discovery for the day
Thanks for the tip. :-)
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I've been debating about whether or not to buy her album. I've downloaded a couple from iTunes and I really dig them, but I've been hesitant to lay out the cash. I was just going to stick with the songs I have, but after that review I'm going to reconsider. Maybe I can get it on sale at Newbury Comics or something.
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I very much enjoy the CD, but I'm biased towards liking voices like hers. For a more detailed review of the CD and her style, just click on the support the artist link in the post.
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Very much so. She actually reminds me quite a bit of Joan Osburne (her voice), but I think she's got a better handle on writing lyrics than ol' Joan.
Although I can't imagine her covering Missy Elliot. Diving into some standards from the American Songbook, on the other hand...
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Thanks, Liz.
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So I did.
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There are evil videos involved. :-)
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