Hmm can't quite see the problem here but something is definitely not right. The songs are breezy and bubbly, taking either the offensive or defensive relationship position with easy relate-ability. The artist is a cute young girl who plays her own guitar and writes her own songs. But somehow there is a nagging feeling of something missing ... oh got it! It has no soul.
Michelle Branch and her debut album 'The Spirit Room' provides the soundtrack for American high school honeys cruising in their convertible VW cabriolets to the mall to get Ambercrombie & Fitch'd out of their minds. The only way the music could be more safe would be if it were wearing a bicycle helmet. This genre of music works a treat in the States where clean-cut quarterbacks dream of kissing perky cheerleaders and of one day having a walk-in closet to call their very own. Not so sure if the kids in Blighty will be so sucked in.
But if you like your music served up mildly middle of the road then you should be very happy. The whole album clocks in at under 42 minutes with each track a perfect pop confection. Branch's vocal style is a cross between yelping and twee contra-alto choir girl you know it comes very much from her nose as opposed to her throat. All the tunes tend to blend into one big pool of treacle and it is difficult to describe something that is so …innocuous.
The new single 'Everywhere' has all the hallmarks of a typical US top tenner softly-softly tingling guitar intro followed by little taps of percussion - then count to 30, cue bridge and wait 30 more seconds and here comes the full force of the chorus. 'All You Wanted' is packed with the ear-pleasing chords of A minor and open G, drenched in a glistening coat of lyrics who Is are surely topped with tiny hearts. Album closer 'Drop in the Ocean', a placidly thoughtful song, features a (shock horror) dancey beat albeit one that is as edgy as a butter knife smack in the middle of it's spun sugar Pro Tools haze.
On the whole it's a matter of there being nothing not to like. Eleven faultlessly produced harmless songs tailor-made for episodes of Dawson's Creek.
