Ever have one of those CDs that you listen to constantly when you first get it, then forget about it? Then you find it a year or so later? Lisa Loeb’s second album, Firecracker, is just that album.

When the album first came out, I hemmed and hawed a lot, but eventually bought it. I was in a phase when I never listened to the radio, so I had no idea what was on the album. I had heard the “Tails” album, but really only liked the big song from it “Stay.” And, while I really loved that song, I felt no need to buy her second album. However, my sister kept insisting that I would love it, so I went out and bought it.

She was right (even though I normally hate admitting that).

“Firecracker” is a great album because it has wonderful lyrics, style, and is good, fun rock n’ roll. She is one of those singers who, if you ever see them live, just rocks out. She’s fabulous to watch and, even better, she proves with “Firecracker” that she’s wonderful to listen to as well.

The first song, “I Do,” is the most popular song from the album. In fact, I heard it at the laundromat this evening. It has universal appeal, being classic rock with a chorus that you can howl along with. A good song, but not as profound as some of the other songs from the album.

“The time between meeting and finally leaving is sometimes called falling in love.” That’s the first line to her second song, “Falling in Love.” Not exactly a great line for someone falling in love, but she’s got a point. It’s a sweet-sounding song, telling the story of a relationship gone wrong. In many ways, it’s a lesson to everyone who gets in too deep to fast. This is probably my favorite song from the album.

While this isn’t my favorite song, “Let’s Forget About It” has my favorite lines from “Firecracker.” “I’ll stop crying on the mountain that we made from the molehill where we spilt the milk.” It’s a song about a lover who keeps lying and her attempts at dropping the entire subject. It’s about forgetting about a subject as a means of putting a problem behind them. I’ve done the same thing, so it’s very easy for me to relate to. Plus, like every other song on this album, it has a beautiful sound.

“Dance with Angels” is a beautiful love song. She is offering everything to a man who seems to want everything. She sings “You want to dance with the angels? Then embroider me with gold, and I will fly with the angels, and you can dance with me.” I love that!

“Jake” is another song about a relationship that was never meant to be. It’s about a man who seems to be dangerous both to himself and her, so she goes as far away from him as possible. This too has a sweet melody and a beautiful sound. Even though it’s not happy, it puts a smile on my face. Weird, huh?

Lisa Loeb’s second album, “Firecracker” has a style to it unlike “Tails.” She uses her well-known sweet voice to tell the stories of loves lost and won while keeping up a classic rock n’ roll appeal. I would recommend this album to anyone.




Recommended: Yes