published: 7 /
4 /
2011
Label:
Sonic Cathedral
Format: CD
Frequently enthralling second album from folk-influenced American singer-songwriter, Sarabeth Tucek
Review
Sarabeth Tucek sounds like Karen Carpenter singing Cat Power – and if you can conjure that up in your mind, you should be able to imagine how good that is.
'Get Well Soon' is the follow-up to her 2007 self-titled debut. That album didn’t really recover from having its strongest song, ‘Something for You’ as its opener, with none of the proceeding songs living up to its promise. With her second effort, Tucek has made an album which stands up as a whole piece –presumably benefitting from having all the songs written in the same period, as opposed to being a collection of the best work from the formative years of writing (as many debuts are).
There is no sense of 'Get Well Soon' tailing off you make your way through it; there are peaks and troughs certainly – although “troughs” is actually a bit harsh; there are peaks and smaller peaks – hillocks, if you will – but overall the quality of the songwriting is consistently high, and at its best enthralling. Some of the best tracks on the album appear a few songs in; ‘The Fireman’ and ‘Smile for No One’ in particular are songs which have the power to make you stop whatever you’re doing and just listen.
There is a slight glut in the middle section; some of the rockier moments on the record don’t match up to the folkier songs, but this is not true across the board, and the Elysian Fields influenced ‘Rising’ sets the album back on course. The album’s closer and title track, ‘Get Well Soon’ is one of the best on the record, and brings proceedings to a gentle end, but an end which leaves you ready for more from Tucek. Hopefully her next recording will be with us before another four years is up.
Track Listing:-
1
The Wound And The Box
2
Wooden
3
A View
4
The Fireman
5
Smile For No One
6
Things Left Behind
7
State I Am In
8
At The Bar
9
Rising
10
The Doctor
11
Exit Ghost
12
Get Well Soon
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