Article summary

No doubt 18-year-old Katie Melua has got used to being tagged "the next Norah Jones". After all, the similarities between her debut, Call Off the Search, and Jones's own five-Grammy-winning Come Away with Me more than support the comparison. Both feature precociously graceful and accomplished singers swirling through a haze of sweetly sensual sways--warm, slurred and gloriously lazy--and both certainly belong in the same stress-relieving rack in the easy-listening section. Yet to view Melua as a soundalike is to miss the strength and allure of her own distinctive character. Hers is intimate contemplation spiced with the jazzy drama of an off-Broadway musical. From the flamboyant inflections of her voice and the drowsy orchestra backing "The Closest Thing to Crazy" and "Learnin' the Blues", to the honky-tonk seduction of "My Aphrodisiac Is You", there's a street-smart attitude to her tender swoon that means the image of a dimly lit basement is never far away. With the velvety lounge of "Blame It on the Moon", the dreamy romance of the title track and the devilish blues of "Crawling Up a Hill", it's an eccentric and charming collection that very much stands Melua as a talent in her own right. --Dan Gennoe

Customer's review

NICE DEBUT ALBUM FROM KATIE

VERY NICE EASY TO LISTEN TO ALBUM DISPLAYING TRAITS OF JAZZ/BLUES IN ITS MILDEST FORMS-VERY NICE TO LISTEN TO FOR A RELAXING CHILL OUT HOUR OR IN THE CAR.
OVERALL I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS ALBUM

Grating

I honestly don't think this woman can sing. "Closest Thing to Crazy" drives me nuts, her voice sidles up to the notes and grates. Part of the time she's not even in tune. I used to turn Wogan off every time he plugged this because its just so irritating.

Please don't insult the likes of Joni Mitchell, Piaf and Carole King by mentioning her in the same breath.

So what, I'm well into my sixties

I have no idea what the previous reviewers are going on about. Anyway, I claim superiority over all of the daft buggers, since I've recently hurtled into my 65th year. So there!

Katie's album is a delight. She's no Ella or Billie or Nina - not yet anyway - but that's not to say she won't approach those heights eventually. I have a feeling that she will and I'm hoping to survive untl she does.

I saw her on "Buzzcocks" after I bought her CD and all I can say is "Good on ya, pretty one. I love your album."

Fantastic

All I can add is that Katie has warbled to me driving the length and breadth of Britain, with the sun gently rising in the very early morning and when the country is asleep very late at night. I love this album, I love singing along and ruining the beautifully sung songs. Listening to this album has brought me real pleasure as has the later release.
Beautiful songs beautifully sung by a beauttiful young woman. So what if you're 41 (previous reviewer) and you want to tell us like it is or how you see it, I find something quite appealing about the bravery of Melua in tackling these songs at such a tender age and doing such a damn fine job.
Obviously criticism is part and parcel of life but I can not help feeling that many of the comments in previous reviews are unfair and are levied at Melua personally - if you like it great, if not then move on. In my opinion, it is fabulous album, it obviously doesn't appeal to everyone but one great sage in history said that 'life is like a box of chocolates.' This album for me is a Strawberry Surprise from Milk Tray, a toffee barrel from Roses, or a purple thingy with a nut in from Quality Street.

Complete Nonsense

A young 20 something should write about the struggle with whats about to come in life or REBEL, I don't want no mortgage no 9 to 5 etc etc. This CHILD tries to comment on life from a middle aged angst point of view. Here's the news ::: she hasn't got there yet so its all conjecture & as a 41 year old I can tell her, she's got it all wrong. The lyrics really are crigable .. stay away. On a very small plus ( & the reason most people are conned into buying this, as i was !!!) Closest Thing to Crazy is one of the best written & performed songs EVER ... Following added: Nov 2007. This girl gets worse & worse & has no morals !!!. Every album she makes, once the dust has settled, she releases a 'SPECIAL' version. How morally abysmal ^&**(( !!!. So the true fans (not me) show loyalty & go buy the album when it 1st comes out ... then feel ripped off ... I rest my case ... in fact .. 'THIS IS THE CLOSEST THING TO CRAZY' etc ect. PS: I dont wanna hear 'its not her, its the record company' any artist, in the end, has the final say. Dont forget .. Remember your a womble !

Call Off the Search

Article summary

Customer's review

NICE DEBUT ALBUM FROM KATIE

Grating

So what, I'm well into my sixties

Fantastic

Complete Nonsense

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