A Wish For Something More (This Is The Life - Amy Macdonald)

Member Name: Nar2

Product:	This Is The Life - Amy Macdonald
Date:	20/02/08 (321 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nicely detailed CD book and overall CD case, good prices if you know where to look. Easy listening.

Disadvantages: Song structures keep repeating and it can become tiring. Shades of other bands material.

After I saw the half price banners on sale at my local Woolies I just had to have a look in store to see what CD and DVD's I could buy for use at school as well as my own personal enjoyment. To say the least I've had a quiet Christmas and New Year this year. But my surprise was taken watching the festivities on the TV channels watching Amy MacDonald play out a song from her album that had me mystified in the speed of the lyrics she poured out into the microphone whilst jiggling along on her guitar. Maybe it was the power of her eyes, or her voice or a combination of the two that got me fixed to my seat. Following the success of her first song, "Mr Rock and Roll," which is still being played on commercial radio, and after seeing her on TV before the New Year, I decided that her debut album was a must buy.

£5.17 later (Woolworths) and I'm walking down the road past the sea and heading out to my old workplace with my Walkman in time for a steaming cup of coffee and a personal invite to listen to this album because for this unbelievable price, this album could be a diamond in the rough. The wind is howling up from the beach, it's a cloudy day and against the dry, greyness of the typical Scottish weather, my face turns to smiles as I listen to the beauty of this voice...

As much as I would like to know about Amy MacDonald (she has My Space; I don't.) she is a Glaswegian born singer much unlike any other Scottish singer you're likely to hear, because her deep rich alto voice shrouds a siren Irish accent deeply routed with sprigs of Irish folk music intertwined with hard rock guitars and a jingly feeling that she may have dressed herself along the lines of KT Tunstall. She has the same long brown hair and piercing eyes whilst her voice is unmistakably Irish if not Celtic universally despite her Scottish roots.

The album starts off with a good bang, and a memorable one returning to her hit single which is a song which will either make you tap your feet, dream of cosy Irish bars with old time musicians playing by a fireside, or a song that will bring a smile to your sullen face. Luckily it does without the Corrs like fiddle playing or an accordion which is a welcome change to any Celtic music, and its not long that it makes me realise this girl has quite a loud voice which could easily drown out two of these close Celtic instruments not just in part to the fact that her voice is reedy like, gorgeously warm with a tint of flowery vibrato and unashamedly Alto like in her depths.


** Track listings **

1. Mr. Rock 'n' Roll
2. This Is The Life
3. Poison Prince
4. Youth Of Today
5. Run
6. Let's Start A Band
7. Barrowland Ballroom
8. LA
9. Wish For Something More
10. Footballer's Wife
11. Road To Home


Eleven songs make up this album and for want of trying the album begins steady enough with three hit songs that have already or likely to make a good impact on the current scene. The first of which has shades of Dido and the new wave sound that with electro synths fading into a song which blends into a more acoustic feeling; strumming guitars and a first beat on every bar bass line which is strong and defiant. Some piano here and there is also added but the overall effect works very well even if the slightest of echoes in MacDonald's voice gives the slightest technological advancement unlike the first part of the song. Then there is the warm sound of a string orchestra accompanying with tremolo and vibrato strings; all very Celtic and traditional like then.

The second song of the album is the one I saw and heard on TV, titled "This is the Life," and jangles with familiarity from "Mr Rock and Roll," even if the song is loaded with glinting strumming guitars, the actual song is ordinary and doesn't change over its basic duo chord changes in the choruses and has a nod to the early 1970's with hippie lifestyles and a swinging pendulum of the yin and yang of life as the chorus and verses mix into one line constantly up and down against the bass line. For all that this song isn't terribly exciting in its structure, the vocals are slightly more aspiring, listening to the speed and delivery of the words MacDonald sings, it's a wonder that she comes up for air at any time! The song however has a good foot tapping feeling to it, not just from its Dolly Parton like country style heard at the start with a similar speed to the song, "Jolene."

"Poison Prince," follows another air of familiarity even if the first two songs are fast and upbeat. Sounding like a song similar to the style of Scottish band, Texas, "Poison Prince," also has a Beautiful South element to it with polka dot echoing keyboards against its fast march drumbeat. It does however have the same, strong defiance like the first two songs, also knocking on the door of KT Tunstall.

"Youth of Today," is perhaps paying homage literally to the young people of today. But it poses a relief to the past three songs, upbeat, and rhythmic. I can't but feel that this song is very similar to slow ballads by Dido even though it does have similar déjà vu to the song before. What is more remarkable is that it uses the same elements as the song, "Put Your Arms Around Me," by Texas released around 1998/1999 and again mimics a similar style. Not quite unique here, Amy!

And its with reflection on the other songs of this album that I begin to realise its no more than songs which have been heard before by Scottish or Irish bands, which is no bad thing even though this is MacDonald's debut album. "This is the Life," begs for a video of a girl running into the arms of her lover, or certainly someone running as it has that familiarity about it in terms of what the song is about. But if there is something a bit more important to these examples of memorable songs, either plagiarised or otherwise, it's the more overbearing fact that "Youth of Today," "Run" and "Let's Start A Band," sound very similar to the first three songs. Is this a bad thing for all that the singer holds a particular young gloss that most listeners are prepared to forgive? It would work if the singer didn't repeat words over verses that by default should be different. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But it does become annoying through most of these songs that elements of structure have been heard before and that becomes apparent from the first listening.

Honky Tonk piano and that quick march style come bounding back in "Barrowland Ballroom," glinting with shades of The Smiths whilst "L.A," has a completely different style knocking on the door of Paolo Nuttini, no bad thing since both hail from the same areas in Scotland.

"A Wish for Something More," and "Footballer's Wife," are two songs which don't work particularly well; the first sparkling into a life like a fusion of Mexican like pop music and ends up back into the swinging folk song styles that MacDonald has already straddled. "Footballer's Wife," starts off sounding very R'n'B with a dose of impending rapping replaced by more acoustic strumming and a falling sequence which conjures up the beginning of a sad song and its one with such rhythmic accuracy that the only impelling aspect worth listening to is the accompaniment rather than the storyline which doesn't really have an ending.

"The Road To Home," however is quite an astounding song because it doesn't have MacDonald singing down low. It is refreshing yet sad in its storyline whilst the lyrics are plain and simple. More strumming guitars and a sad flute played in the distance gives its simplistic addition to this farewell track and more enterprising than most songs on this album, it is void of the strings, the heavy bass line and repeated drum style which has already played its part through the entire album. One other shocker is that MacDonald does sound good in the middle range of her voice, and this is the song that nails it, however simple it is.

Personal insights and traditional folk tales are painted lyrically but and it's the most annoying aspect of this album, despite the magic of this young singer photographed like a Muse on a backdrop of tea stained paper one can't help but wonder if the title track to the album points towards the expensive marketing against the school age lined paper the CD inlay booklet consists of. It's all very drab for all that the album itself is sparkling and flowery musically. The CD case itself is unlike most CD cases on the market too, imparting a higher detail such as the corners with empty spaces and the fact that the CD book can be picked out like a photograph rather than slid in normally. Lyrics are nicely produced and there are a couple of black and white pictures to add to that arty, timeless feel.

Which of course the album isn't in the way the songs repeat themselves despite avid changes to the storylines painted. As such "This is the Life," by Amy MacDonald is a good first album but it could have been so much better, positioning itself thanks to its repeated ideas and same again instruments into a market so very few bands these days want to find themselves in; as a consumer you either download the tracks from an official legal website or consider your local library before making the final purchase. Harsh as that may seem, "This Is the Life," is for someone who isn't afraid of taking time to produce albums and the desire to hear more from this artist will have you panting for MacDonald well before the album has finished. Perhaps for most people this is a compelling aspect to go along with. But for me, its rather unimpressive; you have to line the path with silver before you spend it! Thanks for reading. ©Nar2 2008

www.amymacdonald.co.uk

Melodramatic Records (2007)

Summary: Not as strong overall as the Irish sounding singer's voice.