Sara Bareilles' fun & edgy sound

The arrival of Sara Bareilles’ new album Kaleidoscope Heart made me again realize how fast music trends do change. I am sure that many of you still recall what tunes were playing when Sara’s sensational debut, Little Voice came out. That must have been three or four years ago.

Back then, she was one of several singer-composers, mind you, all girls, singing a light, soulful mix of jazz and soul and dominating the charts. Remember Amy Winehouse, Colbie Caillat, Adele, K.T. Tunstall, Katie Melua and others? They were young, pretty, talented and possessed their own kind of sound. And then suddenly, they all turned quiet.

I guess the reason was the swift rise of Taylor Swift to the top. She was more country than jazz but as far as the songwriting, the looks, the originality of the music, most of all, the bared emotions, Taylor was one of them. But she proved luckier than the others and after she came out with three huge hit singles, Taylor was the only one left on top.

But you can never rule real talent out. All those other girls are probably just busy touring or putting their next albums together. They will come out when they are ready with something really substantial to give their fans. And that is just what Sara Bareilles did a few weeks ago. She released Kaleidoscope Heart to rave reviews and changed the picture of the playing field.

Sara is now back on top with what must be one of the best albums released this year. Kaleidoscope Heart is very personal, has pretty melodies, excellent writing, superb arrangements that come one after the other and a unique pop style that is very contemporary. This is how I have always imagined modern pop music should sound. Fun and edgy and coming from an artist in full control of her output.

King Of Anything, the most commercially fluffed among the selections is the first single release. I predict that like her Love Song from Little Voice, this one will be a big karaoke favorite. The one next in line is the sweet ballad, Say You’re Sorry. I will not be surprised if this one becomes her next single.

The big candidate for the awards though, I mean such as a nomination or two at the Grammys like what Love Song got, is Uncharted. You can really hear what a well-thought out production this one was. It gets all the stars with its fantastic arrangement, the piano and violin bursting into a full band and Sara starting slow and then going full throttle in each verse. The girl has learned new things and she is showing them off.

You will know what other new things she has learned to work with when you listen to the rest of the album. There are the sparkling title cut, Kaleidoscope Heart, the catchy Gonna Get Over You, the lyrical The Light, the little rocker Basket Case, the hook-filled Machine Gun plus Not Alone, Breathe Again, Bluebird and the two I wish I could have written, Hold My Heart and Let The Rain.

I do not know who among Amy, Colbie, KT and all those girls are coming up with new albums soon. It would be really nice to hear new things from them, and after getting this gem from Sara, I am now very curious about what the others are brewing.

Incidentally, one of them, Katie Melua, has recently released her first hit compilation. The British singer-songwriter is also known for a blend of pop, soul and light rock with a very personal touch. Her sound is jazzier than the others and her full smoky tones come off best with the sweet love songs she does so well.

Get this one if you are in the mood for some private emoting. Katie’s songs are great for those moments. Included are The Closest Thing To Crazy, Nine Million Bicycles, Just Like Heaven, If You Were A Sailboat, Piece by Piece, Call Off The Search, On The Road Again, Mary Pickford, Spider’s Web, Thank You Stars, I Cried For You, Crawling Up A Hill, Tiger In The Night and When You Taught Me How To Dance. The new songs are Two Bare Feet, Toy Collection and Somewhere In The Same Hotel.

Unfortunately The Katie Melua Collection misses out on one of her best recordings, a duet of What A Wonderful World with her fellow Brit artist, the much lamented chanteuse Eva Cassidy. But all her other works are present and hearing them one after the other in one album prove how good she is and that we should be hearing more from her soon.