KT Tunstall – Eye to the Telescope - Deluxe Edition (2006)

Perhaps it's inevitable that KT Tunstall's Eye to theTelescope will draw initial comparisons to Dido, since they're both female adult alternative singer/songwriters who bear a certain similarity in their vocal timbres. But as Tunstall's debut starts to unfold, those superficial connections fall away, as she reveals herself to be a soulful vocalist, a restless musician, and a serious songwriter.



Track List
–––––
01. Other Side Of The World 3:34
02. Another Place To Fall 4:11
03. Under The Weather 3:36
04. Black Horse And The Cherry 2:52
Tree
05. Miniature Disasters 3:31
06. Silent Sea 3:48
07. Universe & U 4:01
08. False Alarm 3:50
09. Suddenly I See 3:21
10. Stoppin' The Love 4:02
11. Heal Over 4:27
12. Through The Dark 3:52
13. Immune (Live At Gaia Music 4:51
London) (Bonus Track)



Release Notes:

US Deluxe Edition released in September of 2006 includes
an additional song ("Immune") and a DVD which consists
of live performances and music videos.

Perhaps it's inevitable that KT Tunstall's Eye to the
Telescope will draw initial comparisons to Dido, since
they're both female adult alternative singer/songwriters
who bear a certain similarity in their vocal timbres.
But as Tunstall's debut starts to unfold, those
superficial connections fall away, as she reveals
herself to be a soulful vocalist, a restless musician,
and a serious songwriter. At times, she may be on the
verge of being a little too serious, as her songs are
tightly wound and earnest, two qualities that can seem
slightly stuffy when her production has a glossy veneer,
as it does on opening songs of the album. These cuts,
while accomplished and enjoyable, paint Tunstall as a
good but ordinary songwriter, halfway between Dido's
elegantly sleepy soundscapes and Sheryl Crow's tuneful
craft, which is an inaccurate impression, as the album
quickly proves. About a third of the way in, the album
kicks into gear and Tunstall is revealed as a kindred
spirit of such eccentric contemporaries as Fiona Apple
and Nelly Furtado. She's more straightforward than
either Apple or Furtado, partially due to the album's
overly slick production, but also in her sober,
uncluttered songwriting, yet her musical instincts,
along with her impassioned vocals, edge her out of the
mainstream. Slower songs like "False Alarm" aren't
sleepy; they have the lazy, jazzy undercurrents of Jeff
Buckley and Radiohead, while faster cuts like the
single "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" or "Suddenly I
See" have an urgency that makes them compelling,
despite the shiny production. But that production is
the only drawback on Eye to the Telescope – it
certainly sounds good, it certainly sounds
professional, but it may keep some listeners at a
distance, since it requires that they look hard to find
the unique songwriter beneath the glistening surface.
And if they spend the time to really hear what's going
on in Eye to the Telescope, they'll find a promising,
satisfying debut.


Website: www.kttunstall.com