PIECE BY PIECE is the 2005 second album from jazz-influenced rock artist and includes her interpretations of hits by Willie Nelson ("On The Road Again") and the Cure ("Just Like Heaven").
Georgia-born (as in the country, not the state) singer/songwriter Katie Melua found herself atop the British charts in 2003 with her breezy debut, Call Off the Search, which sold over three million copies in Europe alone. Her laid-back blend of blues, jazz, and pop with a kiss of worldbeat drew comparisons to Norah Jones, and rightfully so. She sticks to the formula on her lush, ultimately safe follow-up, Piece by Piece. This is Coldplay for the Diana Krall crowd, a perfectly rendered slice of adult contemporary pie for a lazy summer day delivered by an artist whose beautiful voice is almost striking in how unremarkable it is. Her longtime collaborator, producer/songwriter Mike Batt, provides the catchiest number, an odd and endearing little confection called "Nine Million Bicycles." It's both silly and sweet, two things that work in Melua's favor. Sure, she can vamp it up with the best of them on bluesy asides like "Shy Boy" and the dreadful "Blues in the Night," but there's a whole lot of innocence in that voice that just shrivels in the midst of all that bravado. Only in her early twenties, Melua's got plenty of time to decide on a persona, and Piece by Piece has enough quality material on it to placate fans until she does, but there's some tension here, and it doesn't sound intentional. Besides, anyone who covers Canned Heat and the Cure on the same record is still trying to figure it all out. ~ James Christopher Monger
Professional Reviews
Entertainment Weekly (p.70) - "[T]he singer herself remains beguilingly soulful and flirtatious throughout." -- Grade: B+
Country:
USA
UPC:
0802987001922
Release Date:
13 October, 2005
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Reviews
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Fans of bluesy jazz-pop crooners Norah Jones and Joss Stone need to sit up and take notice of Katie Melua. Following up on the success of “Call off the Search” (2003), her much anticipated second album doesn’t disappoint, and the twelve gorgeous tracks are guaranteed to mellow you to perfection.
Released since September 2005 in Europe, the Brits have a nine month jump on the USA, but finally this baby has arrived stateside amidst much rejoicing and celebration. Originally from Georgia (the former USSR, not the peachy place) and now settled in the UK, Katie’s sultry voice curls around your speakers and nestles comfortably against your eardrums, and even though I’m no fan of either jazz or blues, I thoroughly enjoyed this album from the first listen.
First single “Nine Million Bicycles” is an excitingly different and unforgettable track that starts with a simple truth: “There are nine million bicycles in Beijing / That's a fact / It's a thing we can't deny / Like the fact that I will love you till I die.” The music is hauntingly beautiful, perfectly matched by Katie’s clean, clear vocals.
Although every track is a winner, there are those that cry out for more attention, namely “Just Like Heaven” from the movie soundtrack of the same name; the social commentary of “Spider’s Web”; bouncy opener “Shy Guy” and the passionately performed title track; but let’s not forget the cover of the Canned Heat 1960’s hit “On the Road Again” and the catchy “Halfway Up the Hindu Kush”. “Thank You, Stars” is another perfect song, and to be honest, I should be recommending every song on this album.
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