I am neither young nor hip. The music that today's kids listen to is grating on my ears. I have eclectic musical tastes, and listen to everything from classical, to jazz, to folk, to rock; but I can't stand hip hop, dance music, or Top-40 pop. Give me Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Stevie Ray Vaughn, or Pink Floyd. I have no use for Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, or Diddy. In other words, I want more from my music than a beat you can dance to and some sexy choreography. In order to get my attention, music must have some depth to it. I want substance; not just superficial flash.

KT Tunstall is the real deal. Unlike most young singers today, she's got actual musical talent. Her songs are lyrical and catchy. They have a way of getting under your skin. And she performs them perfectly. No dancing; no flashy costumes; nothing to distract you from the music -- KT Tunstall doesn't need any of that. She can sing. She can play. She can write songs. This isn't kiddie music (though she does seem to appeal to younger listeners as well as to those of us who are a bit more mature). It's good to know that someone as genuinely talented as KT Tunstall is getting recognition and commercial success in the world of popular music. Maybe we're finally starting to emerge out of the era of lame kiddie pop, hip hop, and dance music that began in the mid-1990s, and are entering a new era of quality music. (Probably not; but a guy can dream.) At the very least, I hope to hear more from KT Tunstall in the coming years.

I was spending a long time recently browsing through my local music store and found myself continually being drawn to the young lady singing on the sound system. Finally, I did something I seldom do: I went to the clerk and asked "Who IS this playing?" I thought it was either Fiona Apple or something new from former Sixpence None the Richer singer Leigh Nash.

I confess, I hadn't heard of KT Tunstall before, but I was very struck by her music. She's a little bit jazzy, a little folky, smooth and fiesty, acoustic-but-rocking ... I don't know what to call her music except great.

"Other Side of the World" is a funky, kicky leadoff track, and things don't slack off after that. "Another Place to Fall" rocks a bit in a crunchy granola kind of way. The plucky "Suddenly I See" is pretty much irresistable pop. The CD alternately soars and sighs, but never sinks or falters. It's really an amazingly mature and accomplished work from such a new, young artist.

Take Norah Jones, Nelly Furtado, Dido, Carol King, the aforementioned Nash and Apple, Sarah MacLaughlin, Bonnie Raitt, and, just for the heck of it, The Corrs, and put them all in a blender...or maybe a cappucino machine...shake and warm, and you might have something like KT Tunstall. And that's a good thing.

Before you read this, you may want to take a look at my (5 star) review of the "Eye to the Telescope" CD (the version without the DVD included).

This CD/DVD combo contains the "Eye to the Telescope" CD -- with a bonus track that's not on the regular CD -- PLUS a DVD of music videos and live performances of several of the songs from the CD. The bonus song (called "Immune") is excellent; and is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Most of the music videos are quite good (though I'll admit that the video for the hit song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" wasn't quite as good as I had hoped it would be). But it's the live performances that really make this DVD worthwhile. As good as KT Tunstall is in the recording studio, she's even better on stage in front of a live audience. I've seen her a few times on TV and the Internet, and was very impressed with the quality of her work on stage. The live performances on this DVD are simply astounding. In fact, the live version of "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on the DVD is far better than the studio version from the CD and the music video.

If you like KT Tunstall, then this CD/DVD combo set is definitely worth the price.

This Scottish-raised singer/songwriter of Chinese ancestry debuts with a delightful album as mixed as her background. One of the most popular tracks is the fun-country live rendition of the foot-stompin' "Black Horse & the Cherry Tree", but my personal favorite is the first single "Other Side of the World". These two songs alone make the album worth buying, the only problem being that it's too darn short.

The album begins on a high note with the aforementioned "Other Side of the World", an excellent, thoroughly enjoyable, first rate song with great lyrics:

"The fire fades away

Most of every day

Is full of tired excuses

But it's too hard to say

I wish it were simple

But we give up easily

You're close enough to see that

You're the other side of the world"

Most of the other songs come close to the brilliance of the two I've already mentioned, and every song is worth listening to, with traces of Sheryl Crow and Dido popping up from time to time. Other good tracks are "Another Place to Fall" with its Coldplay type musical hooks and swelling chorus; the folksy "Under the Weather"; the Simon & Garfunkel-like guitar strumming "Suddenly I See"; the retro `80s rock ballad "False Alarm"; and the heart pounding "Stoppin' the Love".

Definitely a contender for best new artist of 2005.

Amanda Richards, September 2, 2005

I have to admit, I don't listen to the hottest radio stations. That's why I didn't hear Black Horse and a Cherry Tree until a year after it was a hit. The first time I heard it, I was hooked, which doesn't happen often now that I'm 50-something.

KT's renditions reminded me a lot of Melissa Etheridge's early songs like Brave and Crazy and Chrome Plated Heart. There's a bit of a Bonnie Raitt sound there, too.

My other immediate favorites on the "Eye" album were Miniature Disasters and Suddenly I See. But after listening to the album (yea, I still use album-speak) I've come to appreciate Another Place to Fall and Silent Sea, too.

The lyrics in Miniature Disasters will resonate with anyone who has ever tried to keep their eye on the prize while listening to their heart and trying to find their place in the world.

If you're going to get songs stuck in your head, it might as well be ones that make you smile and supplicate your inner acoustic rocker.