Scottish import Sandi Thom has been garnering attention across the pond with a CD and single atop the UK charts, but there's been barely any notice in the states.
Her story is actually pretty interesting. Thom Web-cast concerts from her living room, which had enough viewers to get the attention of recording company RCA/Sony BMG.
Smile … It Confuses People, released last Tuesday, is Thom's first full-length CD and shows promise. However, the album also draws comparisons to the other, and more popular, Scottish songstress KT Tunstall, known for the song "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree." To be frank, both singers have good voices, but both have their flaws.
Thom's 10-song album doesn't really have enough memorable songs to make her a force to be reckoned with in the barrage of female singers with a U.S. base, especially when her songs are less pop and more folk.
On several songs, Thom leans on her falsetto, but she really shouldn't. Her normal and fuller singing voice is much more pleasant. "When Horsepower Meant What It Said" has Thom opening with a shaky high note which is actually cringe-worthy. But on "Castles," she experiments between the high and low parts of her voice in a nice combination.
"Lonely Girl" feels like a soul song with a twinge of rock that has a beautiful, sweeping chorus: "what a lonely girl /trying her way in this mixed up messed up world /I see so many faces just like hers /so many broken hearts in the world /what a lonely girl."
Dealing with uncertainties and insecurities, "What If I'm Right?" has Thom questioning the possibilities of one particular relationship. With an up-tempo beat and rocking harmonica, she hides the song's sadder nature.
For a toe-tapping song, which comes with its own hand claps, check out "The Human Jukebox." It's a fun song about a karaoke singer.
But without a doubt, the CD's first single, "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" is the stand-out song from Smile. Opening with an entirely a cappella first verse, Thom shows off her range and voice strength. The message behind the song happens to be the comparison from the indifference of today versus the rebellious nature of young people during the '60s and '70s. It's an anthem for those up for a revolution.
The Verdict: ** 1/2