Kaleidoscope Heart review

Sara Bareilles - a rising star on the American pop scene

One cannot help being happy about the heritage left by such wonderful performers as Sam Cooke, Billy Joel, Etta James and many others for many generations to come. Many of those who grew up listening to that music when it had only appeared brought up their children later in the same atmosphere. Thus every new generation brings to life some young artists who cannot imagine their life without soul and perform it with the same passion as the genre lawmakers. Those are definitely the likes of Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera as well as Fiona Apple and Norah Jones. Presenting examples to follow these artists and the older generation representatives have seriously influenced Sara Bareilles, a rising star on the American pop scene. Her debut album Careful Confessions was released back in 2004 but received reserved reviews unlike the successful sophomore, 2007’s Little Voice. This fall Sara releases her third studio work Kaleidoscope Heart.

The whole range of feelings on Kaleidoscope Heart

According to Sara Bareilles herself she had a sort of creative crisis after the release of Little Voice. Those songs were really successful, especially the popular single Love Song, and Bareilles was afraid that she would not be able to remain on the same level. Yet the time did its job – at first the singer made up the title Kaleidoscope Heart which, to her mind, best reflects the often change of mood and the range of her feelings. Then the contagious song Uncharted was written, and the inspiration for the rest of the material did not make it wait long. One should mention that Sara sang in an a cappella choir in college, and the opening title track makes it possible to make sure that she is talented and experienced in this difficult singing style. A contagious drum rhythm on the composition Gonna Get Over You underlines the heroine’s belief in herself; she is struggling to forget her ex boy-friend. A completely different story is told on one of the album’s highlights Hold My Heart combining an R&B beat and a soul piano with Sara’s vocals being worthy of admiration indeed here. The first single off the album King Of Anything is a great rebuff to a self-confident young man, while another picture of a relationship Say You're Sorry will be close to all girls who have quarreled with their beloved. The definite leader among up-tempo songs is Let The Rain with its emotional chorus, a beautiful complicated tune and very contagious finale, whereas a piano ballad Breathe Again tops the list of the most soulful compositions on the album due to Sara’s low vocals on the verse. The record closes with a gentle slow song Bluebird full of hope and sadness at the same time.

An example of perfect production

No doubt Sara Bareilles has found her vocation. The girl’s voice was revealed when she was a child, and Sara has been singing all her life since she can remember taking active part in school and university performances. Her songs’ themes on all of her three albums deal with relationships, their development and ending, she addresses often to her ex lover whom she fails to forget. Besides, Bareilles sometimes expresses her indignation with men’s pride and self-confidence. In general many girls will find the expression of their own feelings here, although they are boy-friends are sure to lean some interesting things about them. The album Kaleidoscope Heart is a nice collection of 13 tracks varying in their mood, but they have one thing in common. The record is an example of perfect production; all the arrangements are brilliantly carried out and underline Sara’s vocals to a great effect. Of course, Kaleidoscope Heart will not become a sensation in the pop world but it will certainly find its listener looking for soft emotional music to reflect on his relationships and find out that such situations happen to many others; hence, he is hopefully not alone.