Review Summary: Colbie Caillat returns with a fuller sound, more confidence and an enjoyable album full of upbeat pop.
Reading through Colbie Caillat’s biography, it almost seems as if she was destined to end up in the music business. With a father that co-produced such revered albums as
Fleetwood Mac’s
Rumours, Colbie’s exposure to recording artists began very young. Her experiences with music only continued as she started taking voice and piano lessons, as well as occasionally lending her vocal talents to various artists’ music. In addition to her connections in the industry, she also had a natural singing ability and the good looks that a pop artist generally needs. With all of those factors in her favor, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that she had released her first album,
Coco, by the age of 22. That album spawned three hit singles and gained her a large following within the pop community and two years later she is back with her sophomore release,
Breakthrough.
With everything that was done right on her debut, it should come as no surprise that very little has changed on her second album. Colbie Caillat’s use of simple, upbeat pop rock with choruses that will remain stuck in your head is still the vessel she uses to compliment her soft, soothing vocal style and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Colbie herself has stated her belief that “a great song should lift your heart, warm the soul and make you feel good,” and she hits that mark on every track. The few things that have been changed for this album only help to achieve that goal. One problem on her previous album was the occasional use of that cheap, processed beat that only pop seems inclined to use, and thankfully it has been entirely done away with. In its place is warm, organic live percussion that much better suites Colbie’s voice. This new addition only enhances the staples of Colbie’s sound which includes catchy acoustic guitar harmonies, upbeat piano melodies and the occasional string accompaniment. This fuller sound, combined with a more confident Colbie, has resulted in songs that feel more developed than anything from her past – songs that don’t simply sound like containers for a catchy hook and not much more.
While there is nothing spectacular on this album, there is also not a single bad track. In a time when labels are perfectly content to load an album with a few singles and a bunch of filler, it’s refreshing to be able to listen to this from beginning to end without having to skip any tracks. It’s also refreshing due to its light-hearted, upbeat songs that only seem intent on creating a smile and a feeling of enjoyment. Colbie’s soothing vocals, the warm sound of the music, and the memorable choruses are all well worth listening to this for when the mood for something easy hits you.
