Greetings,
I think I have made it abundantly clear that I hate it when superb artists are underrated and under appreciated. Now I'm not saying that the charts have ever been perfect, but, in recent years, it has gotten kind of ridiculous and clearly obvious that having talent is not always a major necessity. So you can imaging how annoyed I am when an artist overflowing with talent does not get the recognition they deserve. Such is the case, I feel, with whom I will be discussing today. The album is Blink the Brightest; the artist is Tracy Bonham.
For those of you who lived through the 90's, particularly everyone who was going through their angsty phase, you may remember Tracy Bonham and her hit song "Mother, Mother" from the 1996 album The Burdens of Being Upright. She fit quite nicely right alongside musical peers such as Liz Phair, Tori Amos and Fiona Apple, whilst having a unique sound all her own. And yet there are some people who may throw her into the category of a 'one hit wonder'. I choose not to do that, because it practically implies that she had only one good song in her. Yeah, no. That is definitely not true, and I will prove it with the album review I am doing today.
Blink the Brightest was released in 2005 and was the third studio album from Tracy. I would most easily define it as pop/rock, which is good because it is, legit, one of the most perfect blendings of those two genres that I have ever heard. The first song is "Something Beautiful", which is a track strong enough to be the opener but not too overpowering. It's kind of a theory that the first song on every album ever is the hit. I'd say this may prove that. Next up is "I Was Born Without You". It has a really unique guitar riff that makes me shimmy my shoulders a bit, which is something I do sometimes in private, so let's keep that between us. And, speaking as the lyric snob that I am, this song has some great ones. It seems to be about a woman who is practically annoyed at how much she needs her significant other. Classic. And, yes, I can relate.
Now I will say that this album is very evenly toned, but you will get the chance to rock a bit, then really calm yourself. The rocking happens with the song "Eyes", but it's just enough to stay within the confines of the spirit of the album. Then, we contrast with "Whether You Fall", where things mellow since it's a simple and beautiful piano ballad. And, of course, we get to have some good, old fun with "Dumbo Sun". Yeah, I am, like, 78% sure that we're talking about New York DUMBO as opposed to cartoon Dumbo, but you never know.
The other thing I love about this album is how much Tracy really gets to show off what an amazing vocalist she is. Personally, I think this is no more evident than on "Wilting Flower". Nothing seems too complicated with this song, but it makes her voice absolutely shine. Speaking of which, there is also a song called "Shine", which I would say is my favorite here. I love it when the lyrics and melody of a song feel like they were utterly born to be put together, and that is exactly what we get with this one. And finally, we end with "Did I Sleep Through This?". It is a really fantastic match with the opener and gives the album great bookends.
So there you have it. In case I was less than obvious, I am definitely recommending that you take a listen to Blink the Brightest. Although, I will give you this warning. Whilst you will, no doubt, find this collection of songs very enjoyable, it may also make you a little mad. Like I said, Tracy Bonham is an incredibly underrated artist. Sure, people who know things know how wonderful she is, but the public at large has certainly not given her the recognition and acclaim that she so richly deserves. As far as I'm concerned, she should be on par with the likes of Sheryl Crow at this point. Wait, I take that back. I kind of think she's better than Sheryl Crow, so she should be even more successful. Though, as correct as I am, this is just my opinion. Look, wherever it comes from, whatever genre it is, good music is good music, and Blink the Brightest is full of that. So, you know, just go buy the thing.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
