Michelle Branch Finds Her Way and Breathes on Hotel Paper
Written: Jun 25 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: melodic, good growth, one of the best songs of the year
Cons: not as consistently good as The Spirit Room
The Bottom Line: Far from a disappointment, Hotel Paper is a solid follow up that should double the sales of The Spirit Room thanks to solid hooks and one unforgettable song.
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| MattA75's Full Review: Hotel Paper by Michelle Branch |
The sophomore jinx. That term is universally revered for anything that on first try was a huge success, but the follow up fell way short. It's used in sports circles, movie circles with regards to sequels, and of course, the music industry. What's most interesting about the sophomore jinx is that many times when it's applied, it's applied unfairly. "Oh, Alanis Morrissette didn't sell 15 million copies of her follow up to Jagged Little Pill, sophomore jinx!!!" Other times, the artist has undergone a drastic transformation in sound brought about by some sort of maturing process, either personally or as a songwriter/musician. So what the hell is the point of this introductory paragraph? I'm not sure, since Michelle Branch's sophomore effort can hardly be considered a bad record.
Branch broke through in 2001 with Everywhere, a catchy three chord shout along with a solid melody and a wonderful hook. The follow up singles, All You Wanted and Goodbye to You did even better on the charts, showing off Michelle's rich voice along with her pop sensibilities. The album those three singles were culled off of, The Spirit Room was one of the most enjoyable pop albums of recent years. It had some great hooks, but more important, it had diversity in spades, ranging from the Beatles-esque Drop in the Ocean to, well, Everywhere, a song that would've been a hit probably no matter who was singing it. And some of the lyrics on Spirit Room hit so close to home with me that it felt like I could've written them at some point in my existence.
So that brings us to Hotel Paper, an album that is highly anticipated from both fans and critics, no doubt some of whom are itching at the chance to deride this album with the jinx. No such luck though, as this disc, while not quite as enjoyable through and through as the Spirit Room was, is a solid effort that shows Branch growing and finding herself as a musician, with some bumps along the way.
After a short, ten second intro track, you're thrown right into the first single, Are You Happy Now?, a bitter song that has much more of a darker tone than anything the radio listening public has been given from Branch thus far. I wasn't wild about this song at first, as I wasn't sure how much it fit in with Branch's voice, but I've come to like it a lot more on repeated listens. I think it also shows off some of her quoted influences much more than any other song on either of her albums.
The second and third songs on the record are even stronger, making for an exceptional opening trifecta of pop songs. Find My Way Back takes a little bit to really take off, but once it does, you'll be glad to be on the ride. But the real standout is Empty Handed, the best pure pop song of the year thus far, and if it's not released as a single, I'll be shocked. Vocally, it seems Branch is going for a kind of Johnny Lang/Kenny Wayne Shepherd bluesy flavor, which is a nice change of pace for her. Musically, it doesn't stray too far out from the simple pop formula that has worked so well for her, until the end. The introduction of strings helps the song build into this huge wave of sound, definitely one of the most cathartic parts of a song I've heard in a while, and I think that shows off her Zeppelin influence as well.
Outside of the first three real tracks, the other song that seems to stick in my head with no sign of leaving is Breathe, a song that reminds me a bit of the Faith Hill track of the same name, and the vocal line sounds a bit like something that would be a big crossover hit for Shania Twain. It's also by far the best track on the second half of the disc.
Speaking of the second half of the disc, it's actually a bit underwhelming. It's not that it's THAT bad, it's actually decent. But there is a tendency for Branch to fall into the same formula for every song, song after song, and it starts to get old. The title track might be the most underwhelming thing on the disc, along with the Sheryl Crow duet, Love Me Like That. And ending the disc with 3 ballads is also a bit of a downer.
As for the production, it's excellent throughout the disc. The songs are allowed room to breathe, while also sounding very tight. Branch doesn't have much in terms of vocal range, but she makes up for it with some nice inflections and in delivery. Her "whoa oh's" though tend to wear on me pretty quickly, I don't care if that's her signature or not, it's annoying and it needs to be stopped; it's like Art Alexakis (of Everclear), who seems to inject a "whoa, yeah!" into every song.
All in all though, Hotel Paper is a solid sophomore effort for Branch, and it should spawn no less than four hit singles if her label has any sort of a brain. My guess is this thing sells through the roof, and if anything, Branch will be a casualty of the "junior jinx." Besides, everyone knows it's the third album that makes or breaks an artist.
The Spirit Room
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
MattA75
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Member: Matt Aucoin
Location: South Berwick, ME
Reviews written: 1162
Trusted by: 464 members
About Me:
Gonna be a daddy, April 2010!
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