The year 2001 for Pop and Rock music represents, without a doubt, a decidedly interesting year: we see the rebirth of the so-called "Alternative" genre, which not only involves Rock bands of a certain caliber, including, for example, System Of A Down, already active two years prior with their self-titled debut year, but also particularly the Pop/Rock scene with the proliferation of groups like Maroon 5 with their debut album Songs About Jane and especially in the more songwriting-oriented Pop/Rock realm Michelle Branch with her debut album The Spirit Room.

Sweet yet gritty Michelle, native of Flagstaff, Arizona on the "far" 3rd of July, 1983, but grown up in Sedona, also in the state of Arizona, thanks especially to the work of an experienced and, in his own way, innovative producer in the American Pop/Rock field such as Californian John Shanks, producer, among others, of Bon Jovi in the album Have A Nice Day, showcases in this very interesting debut at only 17 and a half some rather notable technical skills: just try to believe the opening "smash hit" Everywhere (later becoming a well-known advertisement song for a popular Italian phone company) which opens with Michelle's guitar and voice followed by a fast and pleasant rhythm with a little solo in the middle for just about 3 minutes and 30 seconds.

Other extremely catchy songs are You Get Me and especially All You Wanted which demonstrate how one can still produce a Pop of appreciable quality, despite the so-called mainstream that, as they say, tends to reward the "bad currency" instead of the "good."

You Set Me Free is another catchy tune, characterized by a nice drum set by Vinnie Colaiuta in sessionman version and a rhythm that exudes freshness from every pore.

But the undoubtedly most intriguing piece and the jewel of the album is certainly Something To Sleep To: it is, in fact, a piece with even references to the Beatles (of whom she even declared herself a fan at the beginning of her career), especially with a pre-recorded base at the beginning of a cymbal about to play in contact with a hypothetical old-fashioned record player, which then gives way to a piece with a darker rhythm than the previous ones, as if to underline the lament of the beloved who does not at all resign to the idea of a relationship dramatically deteriorating.

Michelle's workshop also churns out other fresh numbers like Here With Me and the sweet Sweet Misery which are also notable for their catchiness and very pleasant melodies, although not reaching major peaks.

If Only She Knew begins with a nice guitar arpeggio by Branch and then pleasantly develops on chords that vaguely remind of the aforementioned Everywhere, albeit from afar.

I'd Rather Be In Love is another piece of good quality which, instead, stands out for good work on keyboards and synthesizers as well as for Michelle's always sweet but powerful voice.

Another gem of this work, however, is represented by the poignant Goodbye To You which showcases Michelle's remarkable vocal notes alternating between sweetness, pain, and loneliness, just like the music that weaves between brief but intense passages of piano, acoustic guitar, and synthesizers, thus highlighting a piece that's complete in every part.

This fine work concludes with the "watery" Drop In The Ocean where the music takes on very particular contours, with even a light sprinkling of psychedelia and an increasingly rhythmic ending in which the already mentioned Colaiuta's drumming certainly represents an excellent added value.

Branch's career, although then continued in a discontinuous and uneven manner, could therefore take off starting from that February 2001, the year of the album's release, with additional high-profile collaborations, including with legendary guitarist Carlos Santana in The Game Of Love, followed in 2003 by the album Hotel Paper.

Finally, changes on an artistic and personal level will unfortunately lead her to be perceived in Italy, for example, as a mere meteor, albeit endowed with a beautiful and pure light of her own that will hardly ever be extinguished by simply listening to this work, as mentioned, of excellent level, especially when compared to the (bleak) Pop/Rock scene of our times.

Tracklist Lyrics and Videos

01   Everywhere (03:39)

Turn it inside out so I can see
The part of you that's driftin over me
And when I wake you're, you're never there
And when I sleep you're, you're everywhere
You're everywhere

Just tell me how I got this far
Just tell me why you're here and who you are
'Cause everytime I look
You're never there
And everytime I sleep
You're always there

'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes
It's you I see
You're everything I know
That makes me believe
I'm not alone
I'm not alone

I recognized the way you make me feel
I start to think that you might not be real
I sense it now the water's getting deep
I try to wash the pain away from me
Away from me

'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes
It's you I see
You're everything I know
That makes me believe
I'm not alone
I'm not alone

Oh

When I touch your hand
It's then I understand
The beauty lives within
It's now that we begin
You always light my way
Whenever comes a day
No matter where I go
I always feel you so

'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes
It's you I see
You're everything I know
That makes me believe
I'm not alone

'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I catch my breath
It's you I breathe
You're everything I know
That makes me believe
I'm not alone

And you're everyone I see
So tell me, do you see me?

02   You Get Me (03:57)

03   All You Wanted (03:37)

I wanted to be like you
I wanted everything
So I tried to be like you
And I got swept away

I didn't know that it was so cold and
You needed someone
To show you the way
So I took your hand and we figured out that
When the tide comes
I'd take you away

If you want to
I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside
So busy out there
And all you wanted
Was somebody who cares

I'm sinking slowly
So hurry hold me
Your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on
Please can you tell me
So I can finally see
Where you go when you're gone

If you want to
I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside
So busy out there
And all you wanted
Was somebody who cares

All you wanted was somebody who cares
If you need me you know I'll be there
Oh, oh, oh, oh yeah

If you want to
I can save you
I can take you away from here
(I can take you away)
So lonely inside
So busy out there
And all you wanted
Was somebody who cares

Oh, oh
(And all you wanted was somebody who cares)
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

If you want to
(If you want to)
I can save you
I can take you away from here
(I can take you away)
So lonely inside
So busy out there (oh, oh)
And all you wanted
Was somebody who cares

Please can you tell me
So I can finally see
Where you go when you're gone

04   You Set Me Free (03:11)

Can't you see?
There's a feeling that's come over me
Close my eyes
You're the only one that leaves me
Completely breathless

No need to wonder why
Sometimes a gift like this you can't deny

'Cause I
Wanted to fly
So you gave me your wings
And time
Held its breath so I could see
Yeah
And you set me free

Ooh
There's a will
There's a way
Sometimes words just can't explain
This is real
(This is real)
I'm afraid
(I'm afraid)
I guess this time there's just no hiding, fighting
You make me restless

You're in my heart
The only light that shines there
In the dark
Oh

'Cause I
Wanted to fly
So you gave me your wings
And time
Held its breath so I could see
Yeah
And you set me free

When I was alone
You came around
When I was down
You pulled me through
And there's nothing that
I wouldn't do for you

'Cause I
Wanted to fly
So you gave me your wings
(So you gave me your wings)
And time
Held its breath so I could see
(So I could see)
'Cause I
Wanted to fly
So you gave me your wings
(So you gave me your wings)
And time
Held its breath so I could see
Yeah
And you set me free

05   Something To Sleep To (03:55)

She's his yellow brick road
Leading him on
And letting him go as far
As she lets him go
Going down to nowhere

She puts on her make-up
The same way she did yesterday
Hoping everything's the same
But everything has changed

In my mind
Everything we did was right
Open your eyes, I'll still be by your side
How could I ever have been so blind?
You give me something to sleep to
At night

He wakes up to the sound
So scared that she's leaving
He wishes she were still
Asleep next to him
Hoping she will change

In my mind
Everything we did was right
Open your eyes, I'll still be by your side
How could I ever have been so blind?
You give me something to sleep to
At night

You give me something to sleep to
And all I know is
You give me something to dream to
When I'm all alone and blue
Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now

Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now
Don't leave me now

In my mind
Everything we did was right
Open your eyes, I'll still be by your side
How could I ever have been so blind?
You give me something to sleep to
Something to sleep to
Something to sleep to at night

06   Here With Me (03:25)

07   Sweet Misery (03:43)

I was lost
And you were found
You seem to stand on solid ground
I was weak
And you were strong
And me and my guitar,
we strummed along, oh

Sweet misery you cause me
That's what you called me
Sweet misery you cause me

I was blind
But oh, how you could see
You saw the beauty in everything,
everything and me

I would cry
And you would smile
You'd stay with me a little while

Sweet misery you cause me
That's what you called me
Sweet misery you cause me

And in my heart I see, oh
What you're doing to me
And in my heart I see, oh
Just how you wanted it to be
Sweet misery

Oh.. whoa, oh
Ohh...

Sweet misery you cause me
That's what you called me
Sweet misery you cause me

And in my heart I see, oh
What you're doing to me
(What you're doing to me)
And in my heart I see, oh
Just how you wanted it to be
(Wanted it to be)
Sweet misery... ohh, sweet misery, ohh
Ohh... sweet misery

I was weak
And you were strong
And me and my guitar,
We strummed along

08   If She Only Knew (04:19)

09   I'd Rather Be In Love (03:51)

I cannot help it
I couldn't stop it if I tried
The same old heart beat
Fills the emptiness
I have inside
And I've heard that you can't fight love
So I won't complain
Cause why would I stop the fire
That keeps me going on

'Cause when there's you
I feel whole
And there's no better feeling in the world
But without you
I'm alone
And I'd rather be in love
With you

Turn out the lights now
To see is to believe
I just want you near me
I just want you here with me...
And I'd give up everything only for you
It's the least that I could do...

'Cause when there's you
I feel whole
And there's no better feeling in the world
But without you
I'm alone
And I'd rather be in love
With you

I feel you holding me...

Why are we afraid to be in love
To be loved
I can't explain it
I know it's tough
To be loved

And I feel you holding me...

Ohoh
Oh
But when there's you
I feel whole (I feel whole)
And there's no better feeling in the world
But without you I'm alone

And I'd rather be in love
Yes, I'd rather be in love
Oh, I'd rather be in love...
With you

And I feel you holding me

10   Goodbye To You (04:11)

Of all the things I've believed in
I just want to get it over with
Tears form behind my eyes
But I do not cry
Counting the days that pass me by

I've been searching deep down in my soul
Words that I'm hearing are starting to get old
Feels like I'm starting it all over again
The last three years were just pretend
And I said

Goodbye to you
Goodbye to everything that I knew
You were the one I loved
The one thing that I tried to hold on to

I still get lost in your eyes
And it seems that I can't live a day without you
Closing my eyes and you chase my thoughts away
To a place where I am blinded by the light
But it's not right

Goodbye to you
Goodbye to everything that I knew
You were the one I loved
The one thing that I tried to hold on to

And it hurts to want everything
And nothing at the same time
I want what's yours and I want what's mine
I want you
But I'm not giving in this time

Goodbye to you
Goodbye to everything that I knew
You were the one I loved
The one thing that I tried to hold on to

Goodbye to you
Goodbye to everything that I knew
You were the one I loved
The one thing that I tried to hold on to

The one thing that I tried to hold on to
The one thing that I tried to hold on to
The one thing that I tried to hold on to

And when the stars fall
I will lie awake
You're my shooting star

11   Drop In The Ocean (04:20)

Love took me by the hand
Love took me by surprise
Love led me to you
And love opened up my eyes

And I was drifting away
like a drop in the ocean
And now I realize that
nothing has been as beautiful
As when I saw heaven's skies
In your eyes
In your eyes

And every time I drift away
I lose myself in you
And now I see I can be me
In everything I do

'Cause I was feeling as small
as a drop in the ocean
And now I realize that
nothing has been as beautiful
As when I saw heaven's skies
In your eyes
In your eyes

Love took me by the hand
Love took me by surprise

And I was drifting away
like a drop in the ocean
And now I've realized that
nothing has been as beautiful
As when I saw heaven's skies
In your eyes
In your eyes

12   Second Chances (03:49)

Sometimes
We get second chances
And sometimes
We never make it past the first
It really makes you wonder
Why some things happen
When they do
It really makes me wonder why it wasn't me
Instead of you

And when you say
"It doesn't matter"
Well it does
And all it takes
Is a mistake to eat your words
Just one more time
I think I'll drive on home tonight

Sometimes
we never see the warning
and the voice in your head tells you not to go
It really makes me wonder why some things happen
When they do
It really makes me wonder why it wasn't me
Instead of you
And when you say
It doesn't matter
Well it does
And all it takes
Is a mistake to eat your words
Just one more time
I think I'll drive on home tonight

And when you look its gone
its too late to turn around
and its another day facing yourself
Ad the things that you've done
woah-oh-oh-ohhh
ohhh, woah...

And when you say
"It doesn't matter"
Well it does
And all it takes
Is a mistake to eat your words
Just one more time
I think I'll drive on home tonight

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By Maupassant83

 "'Everywhere' will remain in memory, which will hardly be associated with the author’s image."

 "At times it reveals ordinary immaturity, even in the lyrics, yet the search for sound is constant."