Prime Cuts: What It Says on the Tin, Scary Films, If You Were a Sailboat

Born in Soviet Georgia and grown up in the United Kingdom, Melua's accent gives her a leg up over her contemporaries. For instance, the way she vocally influxes her ending notes is truly beguiling. Further, Melua is also an assiduous student of contemporary music. Perfecting the torch-like balladry of Norah Jones and picking up the hook-laden musical proclivities of Jann Arden, Melua certainly has created yet another album that is a nice crossover of contemporary jazz and pop music. While many singer-songwriters tend to indulge in lofty issues over non-melodic constructions, Melua's charm is that she takes simple (and at times even naïve) observations and builds little love stories around them. Relative to her previous couple of albums, nothing much has changed. Her longtime scribe Mike Batt is still responsible for the lion's share of the songs' genesis. However, this time the boundaries have been stretched when a languid version of Leonard Cohen's nod to post-modernity "In My Secret Life" is included.

While some men are praised by their paramours for their sensitivity or good lucks, Melua in "Scary Films" lauds praises over her lover for helping her chase away her nightmares. Though the lyrics on a cursory level may sound childish but coupled with Melua's girlish vocal twirls over its enchanting dreamy melody, "Scary Films" is so enchanting that one feels transported right into a fairy tale. Again utilizing the same "horror" theme is "Ghost Town," a forlorn broken hearted jazz ballad with a slight touch of Hank Williams' blues. While the newly composed "If I Were a Sailboat" (not that old Lyle Lovett song of the same title) may be faulted on its use of inconsistent imageries, it has a magical cull that squarely captures the romantic vertigo of falling in love.

Just as "9 Million Bicycles" was the gem of her last CD, "What It Says on the Tin" is this record's masterpiece. The gentle strumming of the guitar, the lush gush of a string-laden ensemble, and the sensuous fête fetale-esque vocals all are winsome ingredients to this exquisite and well-written love song. The fine attention paid to the lyrical content of "What I Miss the Most" is another fine example of why Melua and co-writer Andrea McEwan's writing is so engaging. However, just like her previous efforts, there are a few fillers. The mid-tempo "Spellbound" takes a break from the ballad-heavy slant of the album. Unfortunately, it suffers from too much chord changes and melodic twisting. While the light samba feel of "Perfect Circle" is acceptable without being spectacular.

Nevertheless, "Pictures" is the perfectly apt title for this disc. With the use of acerbic word pictures, unexpected motifs and picturesque language, the vignettes Melua paints through each of these 12 paeans are indelible. Never overindulging in the lethargic pandering of some jazz records and never assenting to the non-melodious gibberish of some singer-songwriter's CDs, Melua's "Pictures" is a keeper.

This is the American version of her 2007 release.

It is a thematic album full of cinematic references - touching upon old-school Hollywood, horror and cowboy movies.

But there's more to the album's 12 songs.

Katie herself points out that "Pictures" is 'darker' than her first two albums and also that it features a lot more of her own input.

It is not significantly darker, but there is a hint of things to come now that Katie is branching out on her own after her three-album collaboration with Mike Batt, her manager, primary songwriter and producer.

On this one, the 24 year-old singer/songwriter seems to have realised that she's outgrown her mentor : in a way, the six songs she's penned for "Pictures" sound altogether more vital, more interesting and more affecting than Batt's seven offerings.

Throughout the album, there are the same everyday themes that someone like Lily Allen sings about, but with none of the brashness that Lily adopts. Katie's songs are far more subtle.

Its first single "If You Were a Sailboat" is typically Katie, is a nicely packaged song about - you guessed it - love, and a rather safe bet...But it may disappoint her fans, given its striking similarity to the likes of "Nine Million Bicycles".

"Mary Pickford (Used To Eat Roses)" is a good opener, it's funny, quirky and immediately makes you think that perhaps there's something different about this singer-songwriter that will set her apart from the rest. However, the next couple of songs are slightly disappointing, nice melodies but a bit bland and forgettable.

It picks up however with the bittersweet "What I Miss About You" which definitely feels like it's been written by someone who's gone through a break-up: the hopeless romantics will particularly love it.

"Spellbound" is a really nice song that benefits from some really enchanting melodies and one of the most vibrant choruses on the album. It reverberates with positivity and sunshine values.

"Scary Films" shows a nice bluesy, R&B quality, with the guitars, especially, adding some grit to Melua's smooth vocals - and the lyrics which are well worth listening to as well.

Reggae vibes on "Ghost Town" (one of two songs bearing a Melua/Batt credit) add another flavour to the melting pot of sounds that is "Pictures".

These songs also highlight and demonstrate Katie's varied musical interests and influences.

For Katie fans, this record will be everything they expected and more. The haters are likely to find it overly sentimental and sweet.

"This jazzy, smoky sound formula is ever present again and to be honest, the arrangements are not all bad. It's the half hearted, take the money and run performance which drives you the closest thing to crazy". -Glenn Meads

But whichever way of the fence you are, you will have to admit that Pictures brings a new element of Katie the artist to the fore.

My picks: "Spellbound", "Scary Films", "Perfect Circle", "Ghost Town", "Dirty Dice", "In My Secret Life".

Enjoy!

De in Georgië als Ketevan Melua geboren, maar na haar verhuizing naar Engeland verhuisde en beter bekend staande als Katie Melua , is inmiddels 23 en begiftigd met een krachtige stem en prima songwriting skills. Haar debuut (Call Off The Search , 2003) zorgde meteen voor een top-40 notering en 1,8 miljoen verkochte exemplaren. Piece by Piece (2005) werd zelfs viermaal platinum. Het succes eiste een tol: de relatie met Luke Pritchard (lead singer van The Kooks ) werd verbroken. Dan kan een songwriter twee dingen doen: sad songs schrijven of het leven fris tegemoet zien. Geproduceerd door Mike Batt is Pictures het resultaat.

Pittoresque ballads, van Mary Pickford (Used to eat Roses), dat gelijkenis vertoond met The Beatles' Eleanor Rigby tot In My Secret Life: donkerbruine doorkijkjes. Vijf ervan schreef Metula zelf, waaronder Spellbound en What I Miss About You. In My Secret Life werd samen met Leonard Cohen geschreven. If You Were A Sailboat is de eerste single en een goede intro van dit naar haardvuur en winternachten riekende album. If The Lights Go Out en Scary Films bevatten meer positiefs en humor. En hoewel het licht reggae-getinte Ghost Town een beetje out-of-balance is, mag het best ter afwisseling. De luchtige brasspartijen aan het eind van Ghost Town en in Dirty Dice zijn lekker. De met jazz, folk en acoustic overgoten ballads verdienen een replay. Voor liefhebbers van bijvoorbeeld Over the Rhine of Annie Lennox's Songs of Mass Destruction is Melua een aanrader.

As an American with what are apparently European eyes and ears, for me this hits the spot. "Sailboat" is my favorite, but the others are great too. What a voice. What a talented songwriter she has, too, in Mike Batt. A perfect combination, at least to a throwback sensibility like mine.

I would like to expand on "the most helpful critical review" as to why "Pictures" is so disappointing. I loved Katie Melua's first 2 albums so it was shocking to me that this album could be such a letdown. After some thought, I realized it was the rhythm and melody of the songs that made the album bland. Unlike the first 2 albums, where there was a mixture of slow and fast-paced tracks, songs on "Pictures" all sound alike. This also holds true for the melodies. If you don't have "Piece by Piece," buy it! It's brilliant, especially "Spider's Web," which she wrote. I'm awaiting shipment of "The House," her 4th album, to see if she recovers.