Colbie Caillat
Breakthrough
Universal Republic Records
Rating: 3
Almost everyone nowadays can at least hum, if not sing along perfectly to Colbie Caillat’s song “Bubbly.” This measure of success can be seen and heard from her newest album, Breakthrough, which takes fans into a place where country meets pop.
There is no doubt that this California girl wanted to remain true to herself. She certainly retained her unique acoustic and soulful sound, and with simple melodies and beautifully intricate harmonies, this album is a pleasure to listen to.
Caillat never over-complicates any of her lyrics. They seem honest as she brings emotional depth with her voice that validates her words as the truth. However genuine the words are, they fall under the typical lyrics one would expect to find – alternating between finding love and love found.
As any good artist should, Caillat sings of what she knows: love. Every song expresses the anticipated rollercoaster of emotions that a love-struck teenager feels. This album depicts a love that begins one-sided and then develops into a full-blown relationship with its ups and downs (heard in “I’ll Never Let You Go”).
This is not surprising. Most artists fixate around love, which does not automatically imply that an album will be tedious. However, Caillat makes it difficult to differentiate between tracks. She unfortunately decided to pair her slightly underwhelming lyrics with indistinguishable arrangements that blend into one another.
To put it frankly, the album has a boring, drifting quality that forces the listener to hit the next button until he or she comes across her two exceptions: “Fallin’ For You” and “Rainbow” – both of which are not only sing-able and inspiring but altogether beautiful songs. “Rainbow” sounds as if it was stolen from her first CD and “Fallin’ For You” has enough acclaim right now to justify it as a well-earned hit.
However repetitive the overall album may be, it was done intentionally. This is just Colbie Caillat’s style and the songs are still great for waking up and getting ready to in the morning. As credit to her, she never tows the line that some artists cross when singing about the favorite subject of love. Caillat never comes off as sappy or depressed. She does a good job of being modest, hopeful and expressive, she’s just not passionate.
Give these tracks a listen: “Fallin’ For You,” “Rainbow”
For Fans Of: Jason Mraz, Taylor Swift
-Brittany Pearlman
