Many people have only heard of Scottish singer/songwriter KT Tunstall through one single from her debut CD Eye To The Telescope. The ever-catchy but sometimes annoying Suddenly I See"" has been used in what seems like every movie, commercial and episode of a TV show, appearing in ""The Devil Wears Prada,"" the season finale of MTV's ""The Hills,"" and the series premiere of ""Ugly Betty,"" to name a few.
Though the pop genre makes an appearance in Tunstall's new album Drastic Fantastic, it doesn't overpower it. In fact, she expands her horizons to include many genres in the 11-song CD, including pop, rock, good ol' fashioned acoustic, angsty rock and emo music (no, she does not rap). Tunstall does an amazing job of making sure each genre is equally represented on the album, showing she can do more than just record catchy radio hits.
The first few chords of the first song, ""Little Favours,"" are surprising because of the large amounts of drums and acoustic and electric guitars. The in-your-face feeling this song gives is unexpected from an artist like Tunstall, especially from the initial song on the album. Nonetheless, this change is welcoming to the ears. Lyrics on ""Little Favours"" like ""This little universe between our backs / Is so beautiful, and colorful, I lean on that"" show that Tunstall is still the sweet singer behind the acoustic guitar, despite all of the electric guitars and the drums that seem overpowering at times.
The next three songs on Drastic Fantastic - ""If Only,"" ""White Bird"" and ""Funnyman"" - showcase the album's diverse sound. While ""If Only"" sounds like your typical rock song, complete with ""I don't need you anymore"" type of lyrics, ""White Bird"" is an acoustic charm. ""Funnyman"" is a welcoming mixture of angsty rock and original lyrics: ""Funnyman, gotta try to be something wonderful / Funnyman, listening to the world turning on its sail / Turn it into a brand new universe / Funnyman could never be anything else.""
The next song, ""Hold On,"" is the first single - and with good reason. The song's catchy riffs and fast pace will make it a definite radio favorite. It's a good break in the middle of the CD that perfectly combines some pop, rock and acoustics that would be a welcomed break from top-40 radio.
Though the songs ""Hopeless,"" ""I Don't Want You Now"" and ""Saving My Face"" vary a little in sound, they all have to do with ended relationships. For example, a lyric in ""Hopeless"" reads: ""I found it's hopeless clinging to a feeling / Like a fish on a line, so blinded by the lately / Hopeless, no more saying that there's no more time."" ""I Don't Want You Now"" sounds like a dubbed-down girl/teenage anthem, but it fits Tunstall's personality. ""Saving My Face"" sounds the happiest out of the three, with Tunstall's voice sounding filled with hope.
At five minutes and one second, ""Beauty of Uncertainty"" is the longest song on the album. Tunstall's melancholy, but surprisingly few, lyrics in this long song arouse sympathy for her. Also, the amazing use of acoustic guitar and the string orchestra make it one of the best songs on the CD musically. For a good 40 seconds of the song, however, all Tunstall sings is ""The beauty of uncertainty,"" which grows annoying after the first three times she sings it.
Drastic Fantastic ends with ""Someday Soon"" and ""Paper Aeroplane,"" both acoustic and pop-friendly songs that are suitable for the end of an album.
""Someday Soon"" is another single from the CD, but its future on the radio is uncertain because of top -40 radio's current infatuation with bumpin' club beats and music generally opposite of ""Someday Soon"" (and most of the songs on Drastic Fantastic). ""Paper Aeroplane"" is another song about an ended relationship, but despite the recurring sad lyrics, it is still a quality song, like the others in the same thematic vein on the album.
All in all, KT Tunstall's Drastic Fantastic introduces us to another side of her that we hadn't seen on Eye To The Telescope. On Fantastic she is prone to rave about how much she loves a person on one track and then turn around and say the exact opposite. In short, KT Tunstall's newest album lives up to its name - the mashing of genres on all of the tracks of the CD is drastic, but also fantastic.
