Product Description

Debut album of surprisingly confident and natural-sounding adult contemporary pop from this young Californian pianist, singer and songwriter. Drawing comparisons with Fiona Apple,Vanessa Carlton and Norah Jones, her witty and emotionally engaging songs explore aspects of life and love in the modern day. Lushly orchestrated and produced by Eric Rosse (Tori Amos), it includes the single 'Love Song', a subversive sideswipe at her record label.

Track Listing

1. Love Song
2. Vegas
3. Bottle It Up
4. One Sweet Love
5. Come Round Soon
6. Morningside
7. Between The Lines
8. Love On The Rocks
9. City
10. Many the Miles
11. Fairytale
12. Gravity

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #102 in Music
• Released on: 2008-06-16
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
For many listeners, Little Voice will be their first exposure to this soulful singer/songwriter, but it's actually Sara Bareilles' second record. Her first, the self-released Careful Confessions, led to a deal with Epic. Since then, Bareilles has opened for Marc Broussard and Maroon 5. She's also become a bonafide soundtrack queen with tracks featured in female-centric films Girl Play, Loving Annabelle, and Monster-in-Law. As with her out-of-print debut, the UCLA grad wrote every song on her first major label recording (Little Voice features re-worked versions of several demo numbers). Like the portrait on the back of the CD--Bareilles in strappy black dress and lace-free high-tops--the piano-playing chanteuse combines the sweet with the scruffy. While her jazzy pop melodies are radio-ready, her relationship-oriented lyrics can be unexpectedly salty ("Bottle Up" and "Come Round Soon" wouldn't pass FCC muster). A little profanity here and there, however, doesn't indicate tough-girl attitude--Amy Winehouse can rest easy--so much as a desire to express herself freely. As Bareilles explains in "Love Song", "I'm trying to let you hear me as I am." (Not surprisingly, her degree is in communications). Fans of Sarah McLachlan and Alicia Keyes will find much to like here. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews

Amazing debut album
Sara Bareilles' first long-player is a triumph indeed. Not only are the songs catchy and poppy, her voice different and beautiful; the songs are full of wonderful lyrics. "Love Song", the opener, is not a love song at all, but the complete opposite - a protest to her record company that wanted her to write a conventional love song...when in fact, a lot of the album is about heartbreak, and seems to be focused on wanting someone that never gives quite enough back to you...for example "Come Round Soon" (a particular favourite), with the line 'One too many drinks tonight, and I miss you...like you were mine.' Beautiful. My favourite on the album though is the absolutely heartbreaking 'Between the Lines', about a relationship that was never quite on or off ('I tell myself all the words he surely meant to say / I'll talk until the conversation doesn't stay on / "Wait for me, I'm almost ready", when he meant "let go"), is achingly beautiful, and is definitely the most impressive track. "Love on the Rocks" and "Bottle It Up" are catchy stand-out tracks too, and another favourite of mine is "Fairytale", all about how the fairytale ending never happens and isn't all it's cracked up to be; the lyrics are witty and funny, a particular favourite line being 'The tall blonde lets out a cry of despair / Says "would have cut it myself if I knew men could climb hair" /I'll have to find another tower somewhere and keep away from the windows.' And finally, the closer, "Gravity" deserves a mention for Bareilles' amazing vocal performance. A heartbreaking end to an album of heartache, anger, but hope, too ("Many The Miles" and "Vegas" for example.) I don't like comparisons, but her voice and lyrics remind me vaguely of Fiona Apple; I'd say she's a poppier, easier to listen to version, and shows great promise. Invest in this album, it's wonderful.

Great debut - fresh, different and full of hooks
Sara Bareilles is a breath of fresh air in the pop scene, and seems to have come from nowhere just when we needed an injection of hooky, melodic piano pop. Little Voice is full of catchy tunes, not least the chart success "Love Song". Stylistically there's a lot of variety here, from the bluesy "Vegas" to the edgier pop rock of "Morningside" and the sensitive, reflective ballad "Between the Lines". The clean-cut mix of piano and bass are ever-present, though, giving the album an honest approach - a bit like Maroon 5 meets Ben Folds Five, with Sara's expert vocal on top. As for Sara herself, she really has something special which defies a single comparison - at times she has a bit of Sandi Thom about her, at others she's a little Natasha Bedingfield, and then there's a bit of Gabriella Cilmi - her voice is really multifaceted.

All in all, well recommended - a great listen and every track worth revisiting.

SMASHING!
This is fantastic - I cant put it any better than that - it wraps around you like your favourite blanket and sounds like an old CD you've loved for years! Not a single bad track on it - an absolute smasher !!