Review Summary: Grace's Debut is Uneven and Eclectic But Shows She's One to Watch
As soon as Australian singer/songwriter Grace's debut had hit the shelves, critics began writing her off as an Amy Winehouse wannabe. Though comparisons are inevitable (they both love Lesley Gore and "Moody's Mood for Love"), Grace is enough of a wildcard that it's far too early to be calling her a wannabe of anyone. At times, it seems as if Grace is at the mercy of her producers: almost every track was produced by a different person. When her lyrics aren't trite and when the production is successful, though, "FMA" proves to be a surprisingly enjoyable album.
Admittedly, things get off to a slow start with "Church on Sunday," a song that fails to realize its potential. Grace's apologies to an abandoned lover sound halfhearted, and the chorus is unwieldy and not terribly memorable. It's clear that the producers thought that the song could display Grace's sweet tooth for the retro, but the song actually does sound like something an Amy Winehouse wannabe would record. The next couple of songs aren't much better, with enough pop cliches to fill the Top 40; as she invokes karma on "Hell of a Girl," one can't help but recall Jessie J's "Nobody's Perfect".
After a couple more struggles, however, Grace finally hits her stride on her cover of Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me." It's surprisingly faithful to the original, save for a couple of ill-advised rap verses by G-Eazy. She continues the upward spiral with "How to Love Me," a tender ballad whose sentiment (that her mate isn't treating her right) is far from original but whose production is well-thought out: it's toned-down, propelled almost single-handedly by a piano, and doesn't sound like the producers used everything but the kitchen sink. She actually sounds emotionally invested, proving that with a little emotion, Grace can make truly incredible songs.
"FMA" is unusual in that the songs get better as the record progresses. The three best tunes - "Coffee," "Boys Boys Boys," and "Boyfriend Jeans" - all fall in the latter half of the album. "Coffee" is surprisingly fun, with Grace likening her lover to a cup of joe ("You keep me up/I just can't get enough"), with a vocal performance that sounds similar to Duffy's.. The chanted chorus and composition, which is again toned-down, add to the track, and though the it sounds vaguely similar to Adele's "Chasing Pavements," the song is fantastic from start to end. "Boys Boys Boys" is the record's most successful attempt at showing Grace's (or her producers') love of the 1960s. The chorus samples "Moody's Mood for Love" (which Winehouse covered on her debut album), while Grace's other lyrics detail a "babe" who's handsome but uttering "sweet nothings 'bout love." Here, a Winehouse comparison would be spot-on, but any snap decisions about her artistic influences should be held off until "Boyfriend Jeans," a tender ballad whose concept (wearing your ex's clothing) is similar to Shontelle's 2008 hit "T-Shirt." The song also includes several references to Beyonce. The song sounds like something Bey actually could have recorded in her "Irreplaceable" phase, and though "Jeans" is unlikely to set the charts alight, it's stylistically a perfect fit.
With so many apparent influences and sounds on the album, Grace seems like a true wild card. Will she go down a path of self-destruction and join the 27 Club as Amy Winehouse did? Will she notch a slew of charting singles and become the next Beyonce? Or will she disappear from the charts, and remain out of the public eye until a "where are they now?" feature in a decade? From this record, it's hard to tell, but one thing's certain: Grace is one to watch.
