Acorn

KT Tunstall is a singer/songwriter who has an intriguing background for someone from Fife, Scotland � her father is Irish and her mother, Chinese. Her debut album, Eye to the Telescope, is just as intriguing as her look. She walks the thin line between pop and something more substantial, and I think it may be the latter.

David Bowie�s Hunky Dory was what first inspired her to write songs, and after discovering a tape of Ella Fitzgerald, she found her singing coach. Fitzgerald�s influence is apparent when you listen to Tunstall sing. Her voice is comfortable in its lower ranges, but she can also hit the high notes. Tunstall has a calming, sometimes jazzy, sometimes bluesy, voice that can sing a poppy chorus when necessary. Sarah McLachlan comes to mind when listening to Tunstall�s voice on Eye to the Telescope.

What does her strong voice sing about on the album? Tunstall explains her songs in the following way: �[They] examine and explore little specific emotions or situations or stories. They�re kitchen table songs, like a conversation between me and one other person. It�s almost like an alien has been sent to get emotional samples from human beings and put it all together on a record.� Hold on � do not let her comment about aliens scare you away from the album � it�s a fascinating album for humans to observe real life �emotional samples.�

In �Under the Weather� Tunstall sings, �Under this national rain cloud / I�m getting soaked to the skin / Trying to find my umbrella / But I don�t know where to begin.� When she reaches the chorus, the listener is hit with one of those �specific emotions� that she promised to explore � it goes, �Coz I�m under the weather / Just like the world.� If I were an alien, these lines would clue me in on a lot of what�s going on around Earth.

The first songs on the album, �Other Side of the World� and �Another Place to Fall,� are probably the weakest, sounding a little too much like Michelle Branch. Songs like �Suddenly I See,� �Miniature Disasters,� �False Alarm� and �Silent Sea,� on the other hand, have more complex choruses and interesting guitar playing.

�Suddenly I See� has one of the better bass lines on the album, good harmonies and, most, importantly, an appealing chorus rather than a stock, poppy one. �Miniature Disasters� won me over with its intricate drumming and rhythmically based guitar playing. �False Alarm� reminded me ever so slightly of The Beatles� �Across the Universe� due to its dreamy vocals and guitar riff which plays around verses and choruses. The two songs really are not very similar, but I could not help thinking of The Beatles when listening to it.

My favorite song on Eye to the Telescope is �Silent Sea.� It is calm, beautiful and very well recorded. The verse is made up of the guitar and bass picking out an elaborate melody using a few nicely placed harmonics. The end of the song is very rewarding as well, with the same sort of guitar and bass interplay behind some jazzy chords and voice.

Tunstall could be marketed to young girls as another Michelle Branch, but I think she has a lot more to offer the music world. It will be interesting to see what she does next with her career. If you enjoy strong women singers like Sarah Mclachlan, Natalie Merchant and even Fiona Apple, then this album is for you.

This review would not be complete without mentioning the song that is getting the most attention, �Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.� It is the bluesiest song on the album with a solid beat that comes in piece by piece. The single is significantly different from the rest of the album, and I could understand someone feeling a tiny bit deceived if they bought Eye to the Telescope expecting more of the song�s raw blues feel. It is just as possible, though, for the buyer to be happily surprised with the rest of the album, too.

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