| goosebumps |

// Sara Bareilles //

// Kaleidoscope Heart //

Rating: 4.25 out of 5

2007 was a magical year for Sara Bareilles. Her first major-label release, Little Voice, was a pop triumph. It produced one of the year's most recognizable songs ("Love Song"), which helped propel the singer to new heights. "Love Song" went 3x platinum as a single, and Little Voice earned a Gold certification (500,000+ sold). Not everyone knows about her, but they really should. Sara Bareilles is a treasure, and I'm incredibly happy to treat my ears to Kaleidoscope Heart.

It didn't take long for me to recognize (and welcome) Bareilles' soul/pop stylings and not-so-little voice. She once described her music as "stompy, piano-based pop rock," which I think is a perfect summation. The punchiness of each song differentiates her from her peers and seems, thus far, to be a winning formula for her. Although the new material sounds like what she was putting out 3 or 4 years ago, it's still a lot better and genuine than most of what you'll hear on the radio these days.

The album's first single, "King of Anything", finds Bareilles in familiar territory. In the same vein as "Love Song," it's plain to see the song is destined to be featured in commercials and TV shows. Singable, clapable, snapable... the song is just generally addictive. It reminds me of Michael Buble's "Haven't Met You Yet," which isn't a bad thing considering the latter is Buble's most successful single on the Billboard charts to date.

I would normally list which tracks stand out, but I'll make things simple and just say: listen to the whole thing, from start to finish. Upon the first few listens, I haven't identified any "Between The Lines" or "Gravity"-calibre songs, but "Breathe Again" and "Send Me The Moon" certainly tug on a few heartstrings. I could see myself warming up to them very quickly.


The summary: Just like Little Voices, Kaleidoscope Heart is a staple in your iTunes library. Period. By the time 2010 is done, I will be likely be ranking this up in the Top 5 or 10 albums of the year. While she doesn't break the mould or set any trends, Sara Bareilles is easily one of the most authentic artists in a pop music crowd where most performers are about as deep as a Mr. Turtle Pool. She makes music for life. She makes music that is easy to identify with and is wholly satisfying - so long as you have a heart that beats. In short, she makes music that you should want to listen to


// Torrent DL //



* If you aren't convinced, or are looking for further proof of Bareilles' awesomeness...



P.S. - What are the odds that two of the best songs ever written are both named "Gravity"? Great minds think alike.