Author’s Note: This being my first review in over two weeks, I thought I‘d clarify a few things before I got started:

1) I‘m not leaving Epinions. Good writers are starting to vanish from the site due to bad judgment calls made by the site‘s administrators regarding our right to edit/delete our own content. I‘ve simply been inactive for a little while because I‘m in the process of getting a life again. A lot of nights that I would have spent writing reviews, I now spend with new friends enjoying new hobbies. I haven‘t dumped Epinions - I just have a mistress now.

2) Thank God, the Edit/Delete feature is back. We all had our conflicting views on why Epinions took it away from us, at that resulted in a rather immature write-off. Those write-off entries have now (hopefully) been deleted, as has my mention of its deorgatory title.

3) It was difficult to resist making a pun on Michelle‘s name in my review title. Too many authors have already decided to stick us with contrived wordplay on Michelle‘s last name, and I decided to not let that desire take root. I have a reputation for bad puns that make people want to tear me limb from limb, and I‘ve realized it‘s best to leave that style of humor behind. I mean, people dwell on the one bad joke and then they don‘t enjoy the review - they can‘t see the forest for the trees.

Okay, with that out of the way, I’d like to tell you that I have officially purchased a CD by a mainstream teen pop artist. Frightened? Don’t worry. Michelle Branch is a different breed of teen pop artist. For one thing, she actually is an artist. She’s got a quirky, girlish voice that will no doubt draw fans of Britney and Alanis alike, but she writes her own songs and plays her own guitar to back it up. Sure, this has been done before. But it’s honestly surprising that a record label (Maverick, in this case) would choose to sign Michelle on the basis of her songs and her performance, actually downplaying her looks and steering clear of choreographed dance moves (at least, so far).

My initial to exposure to Michelle Branch came during a rather hellish vacation to Michigan with my ex-girlfriend and her family back in August. Her single “Everywhere” had just been released to radio, but apparently the local pop/rock station in Los Angeles was too snobbish to actually play a song by a teen artist, so this new station in Upper Michigan was the first place I got to hear it. “Everywhere” was literally everywhere - that girlish voice and that feisty, hook-laden chorus haunted me and provided a little bit of solace to an otherwise difficult couple of weeks. I must have heard it ten times before I finally caught who the artist was, and each time the softly strummed intro came on, joined by a modern R&B-influenced beat before taking a left turn into chick-rock land, I was fooled into thinking it was a different song. (Any song mixing acoustic guitars and programmed beats will get my attention. This was what first got me hooked on Jars of Clay, now my favorite band, and this was what allowed the also-overplayed song “Someone to Call My Lover” to get lodged in my brain, only for me to be hit with the one-two punch of finding out later that (a) it was Janet Jackson and (b) the cool guitar riffs were ripped straight from America’s “Ventura Highway”. But that’s another review that I won’t be writing.)

In any case, I was intrigued by “Everywhere” and decided to check out the rest of Michelle’s album after it released later that month. Though none of the other songs had as much guitar edge to them, and some of the lyrics were bubble gum, I found the songs enjoyable enough to make the album worth buying - best to get in early with such a promising young talent. The songs are all pretty consistent - I think they’re just meant to be a pastiche of Michelle’s thoughts and experiences so far - songs about relationship difficulties that try just a bit harder than the usual “I love him and he doesn’t even notice me” business, a few songs of compassion and understanding toward friends, and a few more spiritual sentiments to bookend the album. I wouldn’t classify Michelle’s lyrics as “deep”, though a few songs are delightfully murky in their meaning. For the most part, I’d say she’s easy to relate to, and she knows how to use both happiness and sadness to her advantage without dwelling for too long on either.

So, without further ado, here’s what this young songstress has to offer:

Everywhere
I recognize the way you make me feel
It‘s hard to think that you might not be real…
Michelle’s big hit gets the album rolling (I always hate when the first single is track one on a CD, especially in this case where nothing else on the CD is quite as aggressive). As I mentioned, it starts off with a simple acoustic chord structure, which is met by a drum loop, and then Michelle’s voice chimes in. This was a good choice for the first single, because Michelle’s various influences (or at least, what I perceive to be her influences) all come into play here - the tried and true chick-rock formula of Alanis Morrisette, Jewel, Meredith Brooks, etc. (only less whiny), and the slightly flat but still sexy teen-pop vocal formula of Britney Spears and her ilk (only without the digitizing). The drum loops are joined by real drums as the song builds, and the chorus quickly breaks in, making things much more electric and bouncy - you just won’t be able to get it out of your head. Michelle’s lyrics here are ominous, addressing a person who seems to be omnipresent and yet impossible to pinpoint all at once. Now I have to mention that a few other trusted writers have come up with a more spiritual interpretation and paid homage to me when explaining it - yet I never even thought of that interpretation until I read their reviews. I thought the song was about an elusive guy - perhaps someone that she likes and can’t stop thinking about, therefore everything reminds her of him. Now, I can’t get the God idea out of my head. Officially, Michelle has no meaning for the song - she just wanted to write a song about “belief or faith in someone or something”. Fair enough. In any case, it’s catchy, and many people will connect with it due to lyrics like “You’re everyone I see/So tell me, do you see me?” One last thing, and I’ve said it before, so I promise this is the last time I’ll point it out - The intro to this song and the intro to Plumb’s 1999 hit “Stranded” are strikingly similar.

You Get Me
You‘ve seen my secret garden
Where all of my flowers grow
In my imagination, anything goes…
The likely candidate for Michelle’s second single starts off with a girlish chuckle, and a syrupy wash of synths and strings to introduce a more relaxed, mid-tempo song (ironically, one of the slowest tunes on the album). The melody for this one had to grow on me, and the chorus seemed awkward at first, but then I started to “get it” - Michelle was singing about a guy who understood her quirks and idiosyncrasies and loved her all the more for them. Though the lyrics likely depict a romantic relationship, it could just be a platonic friendship. The song certainly grabbed me when I realized how much it reminded me of a new friend I’ve been getting to know (the young woman responsible for teaching me guitar, actually), who seems to understand me perfectly within roughly a month of my being acquainted with her (and she says the reverse is true as well). Such friendships are an awe-inspiring thing, and Michelle pays homage to one here. Musically, it’s not one of the standouts on the project, relying a little too much on programming and keyboards for my tastes, but lyrically, it’s a sure-fire winner, so I still love it. How can you not like a lyric such as “So I’m a little left of center/I’m a little out of tune/Some say I’m paranormal/So I just bend their spoon”?

All You Wanted
I didn‘t know that it was so cold
And you needed someone to show you the way…
This is another one of those songs that could be about a lover or just a friend. It starts off with another gentle guitar intro, which is one again met by a bumping beat, and to be honest, the guitars and lyrics are really the only thing separating this from being a standard teen pop song. That’s not a bad thing - the beat is solid, if nothing flashy, and the chorus is memorable. Michelle is singing to a friend (presumably a boy) who she looked up to and admired, until she realized how alone he felt inside, and now she wants to help him turn his life around. It’s all a bit vague, but I think a lot of high school and college students will relate to being “So lonely inside, so busy out there” - consumed with so much stuff to do and yet not finding satisfaction in any of it. Sometimes couples or friends just need to shut the whole world out for a little while and just exist in a bubble together, and devote time to simply relaxing. Michelle uses the tried and true folk songwriter trick here - she ends off the song by repeating a line (or variation of a line) from earlier in the song. It may not be original, but it helps establish the singer/songwriter vibe of the record.

You Set Me Free
Can‘t you see
There‘s a feeling that‘s come over me
Close my eyes
You‘re the only one that leaves me completely breathless…
Another bouncy, programming-heavy pop song follows - this one’s a lighthearted ode to a lover that’s probably perfect for singing in the shower while getting ready for a date or something like that. Once again, a catchy guitar intro is married to a chunky beat, this time with an irresistibly happy effect. In the previous song, Michelle wanted to rescue a lover from torment and loneliness - here, she is the one who has been rescued. Pretty simple teen pop fluff, you might argue, but it’s quite well done, and the chorus has a bit more of a rock edge, though nothing close to “Everywhere”.

Something to Sleep to
He wakes up to the sound
So scared that she‘s leaving
He wishes that were still asleep next to him
Hoping she will change…
This song fades in with a dreamy, Lennon-inspired piano intro - here, Michelle’s voice begins to morph away from the half-Alanis/half-Britney sound, taking on the more alternative tones of Gwen Stefani (No Doubt) or Shirley Manson (Garbage). The tune is probably the closest thing you’re gonna get to a ballad from Michelle thus far, though the chorus is soaked in electric guitars. It seems to be a sad story song about a guy and a girl who are grappling with memories of each other. You can tell that sleeping together was something this couple particularly enjoyed - by that I mean physically sleeping in the same bed, not necessarily having sex (though that interpretation might explain the justification in the chorus: “In my mind, everything we did was right”). Whatever the interpretation, it’s clear that they both still hold a piece of each other and don’t know quite how to move on, but still those memories are soothing as they both drift off to sleep alone. It’s a compelling song and a welcome change from the poppy nature of most of the album (not that that’s bad; we just need a break now and again).

Here with Me
You know that silence is loud when all you hear is your heart
And I wanted so badly just to be a part
Of something strong and true
But I was scared and left it all behind…
A lovely, exotic, flute-like intro kicks this song off, and immediately a beat kicks in that is very Britney-inspired. Some reviewers have written this song off as a total Britney rip-off, and I can hear it in the flatter tones in Michelle’s voice and a tiny amount of digitizing during the bridge, but this song has a smoother pace to it - there’s no horny schoolgirl attitude attached here. The melody is much better than anything I’ve heard out of Britney, too. Once again, the lyrics deal with a lost love - though it’s not clear who left whom, as the song details reasons why they both found reason to call it off. It’s not bitter - perhaps it’s just a bit confused. She knows the breakup was for the best and she even thanks him for it, and yet at the same time she admits that she cries over him and longs for him back. It’s emotionally complex, even if the lyrics don’t dig as deep as I want them to. Some may see the Britney influence and the generic song title (how many hit songs named “Here with Me” can we handle?) as strikes against it, but this is actually my favorite song on the record - at least for the time being. It brings together some elements that I normally don’t like, along with a great tune, a real guitar, and good lyrics, and makes it all work somehow. If this was the standard for teen pop, I’d certainly be more willing to give the genre a chance.

Sweet Misery
I was blind, but oh, how you could see
You saw the beauty in everything, everything and me…
I should probably mention that when I first downloaded the album, I got the wrong versions of this song and the three after it. Apparently Michelle cut her teeth on a demo album last year, on which four songs appeared that were revamped for The Spirit Room. (Gee, that’s unconventional - aren’t you supposed to start as a Mouseketeeer?) In any case, this version is much more produced than the original, which mostly relied on simple acoustic guitars and Michelle’s lone voice. Here we have generous synthesizer washes and a less intrusive beat - the beginning of the song almost reminds me of the radio remix of Enya’s “Only Time” (note to radio stations: stop trying to pass that remix off as if it were as good as the actual song, okay?) Once again, Michelle is sorting through memories of a relationship - this time, it seems like the guy liked her so much that she didn’t quite know what to do. It’s an interesting phenomenon - someone else can see so many attractive things in you, and it turns out to be intimidating rather than flattering. Perhaps it’s the other side of unrequited love that she’s exploring - I didn’t really think about it until just now. In any case, it’s got a good melody and Michelle sings in a slightly higher range during the chorus. The only drawback - and this becomes quite apparent in the back half of the album - is that Michelle’s guitar is buried in the mix. It’s kind of frustrating, given that the song is book ended with the lines “I was weak/And you were strong/And me and my guitar, we strummed along.”

If Only She Knew
I don‘t know whose side I‘m taking
But I‘m not taking things too well…
Remember how I said that the guitars were getting buried in the mix? Nowhere is that more evident than in this song, which starts with an interesting chord sequence, but gets completely lost in the heavy drum programming. Having heard the indie version of this song, I’d have to say that I can’t really decide which is better. The indie version had a nicer acoustic flare, allowing the chords to stand out, and this version is practically all drums - and not very interesting drums at that. It’s a shame - the subject matter here is quite interesting. Apparently Michelle is undergoing the frustrating experience of watching an ex-boyfriend fall for someone else before he’s fully over her. Having just gotten out of a relationship with someone who never bothered to get over an old flame, I can definitely say that this is bad news. Michelle knows the guy still has feelings for her, and she wonders if this other girl knows about it. The fast-paced nature of the song almost cries out for more aggressive guitars, or more pointed lyrics to tell this guy what a moron he is for not being able to make up his mind, or something. As it is, it just kind of blows by without making as much of an impression, and it’s really a shame.

I’d Rather Be in Love
I‘ve heard that you can‘t fight love
So I won‘t complain
‘Cause why would I stop the fire that keeps me going on?
This tune also has a bit of an angular melody to it, and a nice little piano intro, but yet again, it gets buried underneath the beat far too soon. It’s not like the drums are particularly heavy or anything - they’re just constant. It really diverts attention away from Michelle’s lyrics and the instrument she’s actually playing. I seem to recall the earlier version of this tune being lighter on the drums, more consistently built around that little piano sequence. In any case, this song deals with a tentative relationship - two people who like each other but are afraid of commitment. I don’t know; Michelle’s conclusion here seems to be naïve - it’s better just to jump in with both feet than to be alone. Maybe I’m just cynical at this point in my life, but in any case, it’s not a bad song. I’m jus starting to get tired of the record’s production at this point in time.

Goodbye to You
It feels like I‘m starting all over again
The last three years were just pretend…
Something tells me this could have been a gut-wrenching ballad if produced differently. As it stands, it’s still a very good tune with a looser, mid-tempo beat. This song shows a wisdom beyond Michelle’s years, almost completely contradicting the last song as she looks back on a past relationship (the theme would be getting old at this point if this song wasn’t so poignant) and realizes it wasn’t healthy. It’s a nice twist compared to the usual “How do I live without you” business - Michelle is learning to survive on her own without this boy who she’s apparently been with for quite a while. Sometimes breakups inspire the best stuff (as I’m starting to find out in my own fledgling songwriting). The chorus may seem a little cliché at first (Goodbye to you/Goodbye to everything I thought I knew/You were the one I loved/The one thing that I tried to hold on to), but instead of feeling Michelle’s pain over love lost, you can hear her recognition that it was time to move on. I really relate to this one, because it’s not easy to take that step and let go of something you once built your entire world around. This song would definitely be cathartic for anyone going through that phase - for me, it’s uncanny that she mentions a time frame of “the last three years”, because that’s almost exactly the time I spent heading down the wrong path. Sorry to make the review so personal, but I guess that attests to the power of the song - it sits at a deeper level than most of Michelle’s other songs. That she could learn as a teenager what I’m learning at 23 is a sign of great maturity.

Drop in the Ocean
Nothing has been so beautiful
As when I saw Heaven‘s skies
In your eyes…
Interestingly, Michelle saves the most unique song on the record for last. This one starts off slow, and it’s really a beautiful composition, based off of three simple repeating chords in 3/4 time. When Michelle begins to sing “Love took me by the hand/Love took me by surprise”, it’s quite surprising, because her voice takes on a more supple and soulful quality, almost completely shedding the teenage rock chick vibe that many of the other songs had. She’s almost a dead ringer for Jewel, and that’s a good thing here. (Hmmm… Spirit… The Spirit Room… coincidence?) The song morphs and changes as it picks up, reaching a blissful climax where the beat falls away and then returns as a 4/4 dance beat accompanied by a rather chaotic guitar strum pattern - you have to strain to hear it all, but it’s a lovely mix, not too far removed from something Madonna might have attempted circa Ray of Light. The lyrics, while simple and repetitive, seem to be a sort of revelation, an invitation to cross over into some spiritual realm or something. Michelle loses herself in the mix, just like that tiny drop in the ocean, and finally, it makes good sense for her to do so. Even though a few of the hit singles are my favorite tracks on the record, this hidden gem was probably the reason I bought the album - it showed promise beyond the standard teen pop/rock formula.

It was hard to decide whether to give this album four stars or three. I decided on three because I realize that most of these songs, while they might get good radio play, are not going to be classics in the long run of Michelle’s career, a career which will hopefully find her expanding and experimenting far beyond her starting point. The recycled and overbearing beats are probably going to make this album lose its replay value over time, which is sad, because each of these songs could have been superb with more of a focus on Michelle’s guitar playing, and perhaps a little more diversity in subject matter. The beginning and end of the album hint at that diversity the best, I think, and I hope Michelle will survive long enough in this image-obsessed industry to experiment more with it.

If you once liked the whole teen pop craze, but you’ve become jaded due to most of the acts simply being a front for generic songwriters and overbearing producers to make a buck, then I’d say check out this CD. You’ll find enough moments where the artist breaks through the production to keep you interested. If you’re a parent and you’re trying to find a happy medium between the harshness of a lot of modern chick rock and the saccharine sweetness/veiled naughtiness of Britney and Christina that your kids can relate to, it’s worth having them give Michelle a listen, and hey, if they don’t like her, you won’t be embarrassed to just keep the CD for yourself. If you’re looking for the next up and coming young rock act, though, I’d look elsewhere. Maybe next time she’ll rock out more. Or maybe she’ll go back to the mellower singer-songwriter style of her indie days. Whatever the case, there’s not too much to fear - she’s already gone pop, and she’s pretty good at it.

TRACK REVIEW SUMMARY
Excellent: Everywhere, You Get Me, All You Wanted, Here with Me, Drop in the Ocean
Good: You Set Me Free, Something to Sleep to, Goodbye to You
Decent: Sweet Misery, I'd Rather Be in Love
Weak: If Only She Knew
Skippable: NONE

Website: http://www.michellebranch.net



Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Getting ready to go out