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Album Review
by SaschaS
4-5-2005
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| KT Tunstall: 'Eye To The Telescope' |
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KT Tunstall: 'Eye To The Telescope'
(Relentless)
KT Tunstall: mile-deep observations
It appears that hardly anything can grab mass attention unless it is sensationalised, in pop industry - in particular. People build celebrities into this fantasy figures that can not stand or be supported by any human. What we project into a ‘star’ is more than even a demi-God could ever handle…
We demand too much from our celebrities because they all have to flog is sex and it’s been selling music for yonks - that never being in doubt. Luckily for us, not all artists turn to this ploy that is certainly a shortcut to success but, alas, to obscurity as well. There are antidotes: KT Tunstall and her debut ‘Eye To The Telescope’, an album that brims with sonics as much as imagery .
‘Suddenly I See’ is up tempo and chugs along acoustically, a bit less orchestrated than the following ‘Miniature Disasters’ which in all honesty, flirts with jazz-lounge mood. But, less Norah Jones and more Beth Orton. The pivotal track on the album could be ‘Universe And U’, a huge, orchestrated song that flies through valleys and over emotional peaks as if powered by non-polluting fuel.
‘Under The Weather’ is gentle like a lover’s embrace… Very intimate music for the most part, it addresses certain contemporary sounds - the opening track and the current single, ‘Other Side Of The World’ is closely related to Coldplay and Travis’ songsmithery but as if covered by Carole King - as much as some traditional songwriters such as Tom Waits on ‘Stoppin’ The Blues’ and Elvis Costello on ‘False Alarm’. The latter one is simply a gem that reaches to the innermost self.
KT Tunstall’s not a babe per se but has more charisma than plenty of her ‘rivals’. And, one would have expected by now - ‘Eye To The Telescope’ having been out domestically for several months - that she’d be a star on par with Natasha Bedingfield if not Dido but the Edinburgh-born 28-year-old is taking time.
On the other hand it is better than being a flavour of the season, such as Katie Melua and, perhaps, Joss Stone [fair guidance from soul singer Betty Wright]. Also, KT is a Scottish lass who is a tad odd, a trait the music industry and fans do not like really unless individuals/eccentrics have a proven record.
KT Tunstall’s album is probably what Fiona Apple would like to record, or what Natalie Imbruglia should have released… Alas, it is a question of talent.
‘Eye To The Telescope’ is finally issued across Europe on the same day as Tom McRae’s ‘All Maps Welcome’*; it is a coincidence that both artists are these intriguing, interesting and individual songwriters but more than welcome.
8/10
~
* Our interview with Tom McRae will appear tomorrow.
SaschaS
4-5-2005
KT Tunstall album 'Eye To The Telescope' is released 02 May 2005 by Relentless/EMI (in Europe)
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