Oh! Almost!
One of the latest new artists to make a minor blip on the pop music radar is Michelle Branch, a singer/songwriter/guitarist who came very close to making a satisfying debut album. Unfortunately, the cons outweigh the pros on her first recording, The Spirit Room, which makes Michelle's music frustrating instead of satisfying, because she is almost good enough to stand out from the crowd... almost, but not quite.
The Spirit Room has not only made waves on mainstream radio, but it has also caught the attention of many listeners who crave more spiritual depth in their music, mostly due to the surprising review of the record in CCM Magazine. Those who give her album a listen in hopes of finding heavy and/or thought-provoking spiritual content will probably be disappointed, however, as there is very little lyrical meat on the album. In fact, most of Branch's songs are- you guessed it- love and love lost songs. Like we really need more of those.
While Michelle Branch's lyrics are usually fairly shallow and full of cliches, a few songs are pleasantly surprising. "You Get Me" is a very heartfelt, original song that could address either a friend or a lover, and thanking that person for understanding and liking her despite her quirks.
Another worthwhile track is the album opener and debut single, "Everywhere." On a musical level, "Everywhere" mixes radio-ready pop with Jennifer Knapp-like singer/songwriter vibes. Lyrically, the song is intriguing due to its open-endedness. It could be about a guy, or about God, but Branch never explicitly explains who the song is addressed to.
Other than the muffled, also open-ended and perhaps mildly spiritual "Drop in the Ocean," which sounds a little bit like a lighter, less-bizarre Radiohead, the rest of the songs on The Spirit Room are unfortunately run of the mill. The few rewarding songs on the record prove that Branch does know how to make good music and step outside of the box, but she fails to do so on most of her songs, which means that though her debut album may not get much time in my CD player, Michelle Branch is definitely an artist that I will be keeping an eye on.
Josh's Score: 2.5/5
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