Track Listing

1. Be Be Your Love
2. Letter Read
3. Worn Me Down
4. Paper Doll
5. I'll Find A Way
6. 1963
7. Under My Skin
8. Meet Me By The Water
9. Even So
10. I Want You
11. Reason Why
12. Moments With Oliver
13. Quiet

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34268 in Music
• Released on: 2005-05-16
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks

Customer Reviews

A treasured discovery
The capacity of Rachael Yamagata to grab the ear in seconds is shown by my discovering her behind the closing credits of an episode of ER.

That song--"I'll Find A Way"--is typical of Happenstance only in that it touches on the pains and pleasures of falling in and out of love. In that it suggests another Norah Jones wannabee it's wide of the mark. Yamagata rocks, rants and ravishes in a way that Lucie Silvas can only dream about and Elton John lost years ago. "Be Be Your Love" is a measured start, leading into the devastation of "Letter Read", the outrage at love ended. Later "Even So" takes the other side and examines the pain of breaking someone else's heart. "Worn Me Down" could really break her in the UK given some radio play, while "Under My Skin" soon achieves just that. The album could live without the amiable "1963", which adds little, and the hidden track at the end isn't worth waiting for, but there's more than enough on this album to announce a major talent.

Treat yourself to Happenstance now before the world catches on.

Exceptional!
What an absolutley delightful surprise this album was. I've never heard of her before, and someone mentioned if I liked Fiona Apple and Martha Wainwright to give this one a go - and it was very good advice indeed.

Rachael's breathy smoky voice is the perfect fit for the late night style of the album - definitely an album to listen to with the lights down low and a bottle of wine.

Hints of country, blues, soul and jazz are subtley used to almost unnoticable effect, but really do add to the overall sound. The lyrics are mainly about walking in and out of love ('Be Be Your Love' (the type of sheer class that I'd expect from someone like Fiona Apple)and 'Quiet' two ends of the love spectrum).

The layers in the songs are wonderfully built up - 'Collide' and 'Letter Read' start with a haphazard piano melody and 'Edith' builds with dark brooding bass line and whispered vocals.

Rock styled 'Worm Me Down', Nyman-esque instrumental 'Moments With Oliver', jazzy 'I Want You' and all the other tracks I've mentioned are highlights - but the whole album is well above par.

I'll pass on my friends' advice - if you're waiting for Fiona Apple's new album - this will more than fill the wait.

Enjoy!

A great album from a great singer
I got this after hearing her music from The O.C. (two songs - worn me down and reason why)
And I am NOT dissapointed!
All the songs are brilliant, and my favourties include Be be your love, letter read, worn me down and reason why.
If you like Norah Jones style of music (jazzed up a bit), then buy this!