Not a huge “breakthrough” but certainly a good debut
Posted August 16, 2008
By Nathan,
Don’t make impressions based on album covers because they don’t always tell the whole truth. This writer, did though, make the mistake of taking a look at Brooke Barrettsmith and assuming Bethany Dillon had come back with black hair (though the electric guitar should have been the tip off). But in reality acoustic ballads don’t greet listeners, but rather a attack of blaring guitars and aggressive vocals which are closer to Flyleaf than Dillon in Brooke Barrettsmith’s self titled debut.
Coming from a family that are no strangers to music Barrettsmith hit her first bit of success with his single “farewell”, a song where the refrain is a barrage of her talented emotional voice and persistent pop rock chorus which is very similar to Flyleaf and Inhabited among other pears. “Right now” has a younger energetic pop tune than real rock, unfortunately while her tune is nice her overall originality is low. There isn’t much about “quite streets” that is soft, as the music is very fast paced and loud in this impressive rock song, but a change of pace is needed because her routine changes little (except a little in the bridge).
“Quite my heart” is a light pop ballad which is impressive because her vocals are strong, especially at the chorus. However Barrettsmith time isn’t used much into making emotional ballads as rock songs like “anymore” a heavy pop rock tune where her aggressive vocals again shine and an interesting tune change in the bridge. The album overall has a melancholy feel hanging over most of the songs particularly “OK” where the piano in the background paints a sad picture in the rock song, and while the science of the music in “breakthrough” is encouraging the beginning is dreary. The odd track out is “paper tigers” a song which seems to be a piano ballad but the music becomes closer to alternative rock.
The music may be a bit on the generic side, but the lyrics are a little different as Barrettsmith throws out today’s problems in a more original light. “Paper tigers” cautions about how storms and troubles are not the end and there is hope, and along those same lines the depressing “right now” ends with ‘I won't let 'em keep me down… You've given me a second chance’. “Farewell” centers around salvation but the chorus heavily leans on self forgiveness, however “quite streets” is very direct about spreading the gospel. Songs like “Father” and “more real” are very straight forward, but when Barrettsmith gets off the beaten path to discuss a rough relationship, things a little vague (“anymore”).
Brooke Barrettsmith’s debut can jam pretty hard sometimes, as her music is pretty impressive and her voice is very nice, her lyrics are similar to her peers but her handling of issues is used better than some. While talking about the routine of her family in music Barrettsmith says “It's in my blood”, it’s too bad that her routine in music couldn’t have been a little more original and that is the whole truth.
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