Track Listing

1. Little Favours
2. If Only
3. White Bird
4. Funnyman
5. Hold On
6. Hopeless
7. I Don't Want You Now
8. Saving My Face
9. Beauty Of Uncertainty
10. Someday Soon
11. Paper Aeroplane

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2386 in Music
• Released on: 2007-09-10
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Enhanced, Import
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
As the sleeve of Drastic Fantastic, a shot of a wildly posing Kate Tunstall, suggests, the Scot never expected to find herself following up a multi-million selling debut. But her second official album, again produced by Steve Osborne, is an impressive piece of work, edgy enough to please those who delighted in her gleeful live shows yet suitably smooth for fans recruited via radio play. Unsurprisingly some of the songs on Drastic Fantastic is can be read as musings on fame, notably the catchy first single "Hold On" and the cleverly constructed Sixties-style pop of "Hopeless". Elsewhere "White Bird" is haunting and downbeat, while the propulsive "folk-punk" (her phrase) of "I Don’t Want You Now" is apparently intended as a musical tribute to Tunstall’s obvious precursor, the late Kirsty MacColl. The excellent ‘Saving My Face’ welds a moody stadium rocker to a chord progression familiar from the chorus of Slade’s timeless "Cum on Feel the Noize", a neat trick which pretty much encapsulates Tunstall’s ability to combine the fragile and hearty in equal measures. By the time the understated, quietly epic "Beauty of Uncertainty" and the accordion-led "Paper Aeroplane", a quirky folk song not miles from her erstwhile comrades in Scotland’s amorphous Fence Collective, bring proceedings to a close, the listener’s relief is palpable. Making an intelligent, radio-friendly pop album with a real heart is difficult enough once, but managing the trick again proves her talent is genuine. --Steve Jelbert

CD Description
'Drastic Fantastic' is the second album from Scottish folk-pop singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. Continuing in the same vein as her previous 'Eye To The Telescope' LP, this release features the single 'Hold On', and is again produced by SteveOsborne, who is notable for his work in the dance world. There are discernible progressions in Tunstall's musical prowess, here employing lead guitar and ukulele for the first time, as well as a greater reliance on re-creating her live sound.

Customer Reviews

Not Drastic, still fantastic!
K T Tunstall came to my attention when she first appeared on Later with Jools Holland in 2004 which prompted me and many others to go out and buy her debut album Eye To The Telescope.

This album (that difficult 2nd album) follows on well and the styles of songs vary from Bonnie Raitt to Edie Brickell. But that's ok, I like Bonnie Ratt and Edie Brickell.

Little Favours
Here's the Bonnie Raitt number, uninhibited fun and I reckon this should have been the first single.

If Only
Musically complex and beginning the transition toward Edie this tells of what the French call "l'esprit d'escalier" - the spirit of the stairs. We all know what we should have said in restrospect!

White Bird
A deceptively simple song with multi-tracked voice and a layered sound that is easy on the ears.

Funnyman
As the intro plays to this I hear Viv Stanshall saying "and now... Distorted Guitar". Upbeat and pleasing to the ear. Superb stuff.

Hold On
The actual first single, probably because it's the most like her breakthrough single, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree". In fact it's almost a clone. Still enjoyable though.

Hopeless
You can see the video for this, as she saunters down a lonely road, perhaps near a cliffs edge. This is almost Richard Thompson in quality. A pleasure.

I Don't Want You Now
And now, Paul Weller! Well, I don't know if he's on the track, but he should be. A Jam track with a female vocalist? Works for me.

Saving My Face
Carole King would have been proud of this song. Another facet of KT, a nice little ditty. Not memorable ... yet.

Beauty of Uncertainty
Here comes Edie. Pleasant but less than memorable

Someday Soon
Much more Edie. Pleasant but less than memorable

Paper Aeroplane
Full-on Edie mode, complete with harmonium. Lush and gorgeous.

Kate "KT" Tunstall (born June 23, 1975) is a Scottish singer and songwriter, educated partly in Connecticut, which explains her mid-atlantic accent. Perhaps. Although her voice is not Scottish in any of these songs, which I consider a shame in some ways, this album will only build on her previous success.

Recommendation - buy this album!

Solid second album
This is a very good album. Okay, it's not quite up to the standards of Eye to the Telescope, but at least she's trying to evolve with her sound a little.

There are fewer of the acoustic, introspective tracks of her debut, and a more upbeat, electric sound. Having said that, there are still acoustic numbers here. My personal favourites are the upbeat 'Hopeless', the single, and 'Saving My Face'.

If you enjoyed her debut album, or even the Acoustic Extravanganza, then you'll probably like this one too. KT's songwriting is still strong, and rather than resting on her laurels she is trying something different (admittedly, not too different), which is commendable. I'd give it 3.5 stars.

A Fun, Energetic Release.
Before i review this album id like to put across my point on previews that people constantly feel the need to give on here. Now last time i looked amazon offered you the option to 'Review' not preview. Please try and refrain from previewing until you've heard/watched/played your purchase!!!
I doubt this will happen though, maybe amazon can disable the option to 'review' until after the release of a product to crack down on this annoyance???

anyways unlike the people below me (when they 'previewed' at least), i own a copy of this album and have listened to it in full. novel eh?

anyways, i like this album, i ordered it purely on the basis of her first album and her new single 'hold on'.
its always a risk of course but i can honestly say im not disappointed.

I like the reworking of 'little favours' which was a b-side on a single from her first album, i forget which. here its laden with electric guitar and vocal overlays.
'white bird' the promoted song on amazon is possibly my favourite track, one of the more laid back songs on the album, which in the most part is very energetic.
The new single 'hold on' is, as expected, the most catchy song on the album and a good first single.

In review there isnt a bad track on this album and if you loved her first album i think you'll honestly like this one aswell, its a fun listen, with plenty of energy, and has a quicker pace than ETTT, but it winds down nicely with a few slower numbers. It shows good progression from KT, but its still classic Tunstall. Is it better than ETTT??? Id say potentially. One things for sure, its worth purchasing.