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Rating: When they ask me what I think of Katie Melua, I respond without hesitation that her music is pleasant, but then I forget about my interlocutor and lose myself in a fantasy where Katie and I are married or something like that. Her physical appearance sometimes seems to be the only work of art worth considering when talking about her.
Let's be honest, Katie Melua's discography doesn't have great artistic value, I'm afraid.
An astute producer finds a sweet-and-cute young Folk-Singer with a sweet-and-cute voice, and builds for her elegant pop records imbued with Blues and Folk, musical genres that usually enchant even stones. And that's all. Not very poetic, I know. It must be admitted that Katie Melua is also the author of some songs, but generally the best in her discography are written by the aforementioned producer, who, for the record, is named Mike Batt.
Nothing innovative and no genius can be found among these albums, which in any case are good products, including "Pictures", an album released in 2007.
The album starts pleasantly well, "Mary Pickford" is a decidedly catchy folk tune and "It's All In My Head" is a song with a typically vaguely bluesy verse and a breezy and beautiful chorus.
There's nothing worse than a catchy but insignificant melody: "If The Light Go Out", the third track, exudes an unpleasant whiff of saccharine pop worth 4 pennies with an unusually full arrangement, almost pop-rock. Also "What I Miss About You" is rather far from blues and folk, but its beautiful melody reassures us: Katie can sing pure pop songs without them necessarily being bad. "Spellbound" is another pop song slightly tinged with folk by its arrangement, with a catchy and rhythmic melody.
"What It Says On The Tin" is a ballad, with the usual clever arrangement and the delicious interpretation of the young singer. "Scary Films" is a nice blues-rock, one of the best moments of the album, whereas soul sounds in the following "Perfect Circle". "Ghost Town" is also a good track, with a reggae rhythm and a chorus enriched by backing vocals. The ballad "If You Were A Sail Boat" and the umpteenth cleverness of the album, "Dirty Nice", are also nice. The last piece, "In My Secret Life", is instead a cover of the great Leonard Cohen, interpreted with dignity.
In short, this album isn't exactly a transcendental musical phantasmagoria, but it's certainly a good product of sophisticated pop, with at least 10 enjoyable tracks (out of a total of 12). A refined and at the same time light album, a bit pop, a bit blues, and a bit folk... All in all easy-listening.
Rating: 6.5/10
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Mary Pickford (03:12)
Mary Pickford used to eat roses
Thought that they'd make her beautiful and they did,
One supposes.
Douglas Fairbanks, he was so handsome,
He wore a moustache,
Must-a had much cash, too,
Worth a king's ransom,
Charlie Chaplin, he was invited,
When these artists became united.
When these artists became united.
David Griffith worked as an extra,
Then as a stagehand,
Until they let him be
A director
Dave was brave, a mover and shaker,
A true pioneer,
He seemed to show no fear,
A real film maker
Just like Chaplin, he was invited,
When these artists became united.
When these artists became united.
They tied the knot together,
Groom and bride couldn't hide their pleasure.
They tried to pick fair weather,
But love died, didn't last forever.
Mary Pickford used to eat roses,
Thought that they'd make her beautiful and they did,
One supposes.
Douglas Fairbanks, he was so handsome,
He wore a moustache,
Must-a had much cash too,
Worth a king's ransom.
Charlie Chaplin, he was invited,
When these artists became united.
When these artists became united.
When these artists became united.
03 If the Lights Go Out (03:14)
They say the world must end somehow,
They say the end's not far from now;
I think they're wrong,
Don't worry your life away,
Start living for today,
Don't think about tomorrow.
And if the lights go out on all of us,
In just a year or two.
And if the sky falls down like pouring rain,
Then I'll be here with you.
I'll go down with you.
Well I'm gonna try for all I'm worth,
To stay with you till the end of the earth.
Don't let me down,
Don't let your feelings win.
Don't give out, and don't give in,
Don't think about tomorrow.
Cause if the lights go out on all of us,
In just a year or two.
And if the sky falls down like pouring rain,
Then I'll be here with you.
I'll go down with you.
And if the lights go out on all of us,
In just a year or two.
And if the sky falls down like pouring rain,
Then I'll be here with you.
I'll go down with you.
I'll go down with you
10 If You Were a Sailboat (04:02)
If you're a cowboy I would trail you,
If you're a piece of wood I'd nail you to the floor.
If you're a sailboat I would sail you to the shore.
If you're a river I would swim you,
If you're a house I would live in you all my days.
If you're a preacher I'd begin to change my ways.
Sometimes I believe in fate,
But the chances we create,
Always seem to ring more true.
You took a chance on loving me,
I took a chance on loving you.
If I was in jail I know you'd spring me
If I was a telephone you'd ring me all day long
If was in pain I know you'd sing me soothing songs.
Sometimes I believe in fate,
But the chances we create,
Always seem to ring more true.
You took a chance on loving me,
I took a chance on loving you.
If I was hungry you would feed me
If I was in darkness you would lead me to the light
If I was a book I know you'd read me every night
If you're a cowboy I would trail you,
If you're a piece of wood I'd nail you to the floor.
If you're a sailboat I would sail you to the shore.
If you're a sailboat I would sail you to the shore
12 In My Secret Life (04:23)
I saw you this morning,
You were moving so fast.
Can’t seem to loosen my grip,
On the past.
And I miss you so much,
There’s no one in sight.
And we’re still making love,
In my secret life.
I smile when I’m angry.
I cheat and I lie.
I do what I have to do,
To get by.
But I know what is wrong,
And I know what is right.
And I’d die for the truth,
In my secret life.
Hold on, hold on, my brother,
My sister, hold on tight.
I finally got my orders,
I’ll be marching through the morning.
Marching through the night,
Moving ‘cross the borders,
Of my secret life.
Looked through the paper,
Makes you want to cry.
Nobody cares if the people,
Live or die.
And the dealer wants you thinking,
That it’s either black or white.
Thank God it’s not that simple,
In my secret life.
I bite my lip.
I buy what I’m told.
From the latest hit,
To the wisdom of old.
But I’m always alone,
And my heart is like ice.
And it’s crowded and cold,
In my secret life.
In my secret life.
In my secret life.
In my secret life.
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