#96: KT Tunstall - Drastic Fantastic (2007)

I still think KT Tunstall is one of the biggest well known secrets in the music industry. Every once in a while her name pops up on the radar, but it's really a shame there's not more focus on her. She's just got one of those voices that's impossible to ignore. If she were making music in the 70's I think she'd be a superstar. For instance she was on Live at Daryl's House performing "Something to Talk About" and just absolutely kills it.

White Bird
Not only does she have killer vocals, she's an excellent songwriter. The acoustic guitar carries the song with a beautiful, fluid riff that's exceptionally complemented by the basic drums and synths. Throughout the album she's particularly good at switching styles in writing her lyrics. "White feathers dripped in tar, hard to tell how old you are, wondering how much you know, about all of us below."

Hold On

Such a cool riff, this is Tunstall at her best. A little bit of rock, a lot of attitude, and percussion that keeps you moving. I've still yet to see KT Tunstall live but she's among tops on my list, she brings the same passion to playing live into the studio. Instead of getting super polished vocals we get tracks like this, blues filled thoughts that would translate perfectly to a live setting.

Paper Aeroplane
This song debuted on KT Tunstall's 'Songs in July' album, and while I'm not normally a fan of pulling songs and reworking them - I make an exception when it's done incredibly well. The guitar picking still holds the song together but the light accompaniment really adds to the overall feel of the song. "And you're like a paper aeroplane, that never seems to land, flying blind through anything, straight into the hand that chokes you, each time you try to live." It's deep, it's profound, and it's eloquently put.

All in all, KT Tunstall is one of my all time favorites. She can take anything and just make it absolutely amazing. I've yet to hear a track or a cover of her's that I didn't instantly think about covering (see: Jackson 5's I Want You Back). It seems that being a musician is what she was born to do (lucky for us) so I see no reason not to expect another dozen well crafted albums from her before she's all said and done.

Tomorrow's album: The Sonic's Here Are the Sonics.