Average Rating: 
Rating:  - michelle branch - not just a "girl with a guitar"
as a teenage girl, i often feel as though the music industry is constantly pushing false images and manufactured "girl anthems" at me. to be perfectly honest, i was a bit hesitant to buy michelle branch's major label debut. sure, i'm a big hanson fan, and i know she toured with them. big deal. i was prepared for her to be maverick records' answer to britney spears.however. . .i've listened to each song on the album a few times, and i must say i'm pleasantly surprised. michelle writes (yes, she actually had a hand in each song on the album) with as much honesty and awkwardness as any teenage girl feels every day. the songs are quite relateable, and she doesn't seem to be some supergirl who i could never aspire to be or meet or know. she's just a regular girl, singing regular songs about regular feelings. i'd say this is maverick records' attempt to corner the regular girl market. anyhow, here's a bit of each song, in detail. track 1 - "everywhere": it's no surprise that this was the first single from spirit room. pop radio will love it for it's incredibly catchy hooks, and alternative radio will give it a few spins because it's a girl with a guitar. everyone wins. this is a great song, though, and michelle's unique voice packs a ton of emotion. track 2 - "you get me": now, here's the awkward teen girl song i alluded to before. if ever there was a song for all the girls of the world who were neither popular nor confident, this is it. these lyrics are amazing ('so i'm a little left of center/i'm a little out of tune/some say i'm paranormal/so i just bend their spoon/who wants to be ordinary/in a crazy, mixed-up world/i don't care what they're sayin'/as long as i'm your girl'), as though she's accepted her uniqueness and is embracing it, rather than hiding from it. someone should put this on the soundtrack to gilmore girls. o wait. . .i think "everywhere" beat this song to it. track 3 - "all you wanted": another well-crafted song for teenage outcast girls to relate to. the lyrics make me think of a girl trying to save a boy from the popular crowd, who are so empty and shallow inside, because she knows he is more than that. i'm relating already! track 4 - "you set me free": yeah, teenage girls can be relateable, but we can be major saps, too. ('you're in my heart/the only light that shines/there in the dark') despite lyrical mishaps, michelle's vocal ability saves this song. track 5 - "something to sleep to": this song is actually different than most others i've heard lately. i'm sure she's not inventing some kind of musical style here, but at least it's a change of pace from songs that rhyme 'love' with 'above'. michelle's voice is haunting and melodic at the same time, and her confusion makes this more of a story than a song. track 6 - "here with me": the beats in this song are more hip-hop than rock, which gives it an interesting feel. i'd like this to be the next single. the chorus is sing-a-long-able. ('i know you had to go away/i died just a little, and i feel it now/you're the one i need/i believe i would cry just a little/just to have you back now/here with me/here with me') track 7 - "sweet misery": i think this song was taken from michelle's independant release, broken bracelet. the original version was a bit better, though less polished, in my opinion. this heavily produced track falls a bit flat because it removed the guitar, angst feel from the original. the lyrics are still really pretty. track 8 - "if only she knew": this song is absolutely one of my favorites. everything falls into place here, with the guitars, vocals, lyrics. . .everything. i'm sure that any fan of today's pop divas would change their tune after hearing this one. track 9 - "i'd rather be in love": wouldn't we all? michelle is wise beyond her eighteen years, and this song proves it. ('why are we afraid to be in love?/to be loved/i can't explain it/i know it's tough to be loved') track 10 - "goodbye to you": this is definitely another girly, coming-of-age song. it seems to be about breaking up with a first love, and michelle managed to capture all the contrasting feelings that go along with that situation in this heartbreaker. track 11 - "drop in the ocean": quite a mellow song; perfect to close the album. i hope that michelle branch is powerful enough to make a mark in the pop music industry. it's about time teenage girls have someone besides britney to idolize. i'm not saying that britney spears isn't fun in her own right, but change is necessary to human existence. i'm tired of being spoken down to, and feeling as though i have to be a sexual object to be important. let's hope that michelle branch gets to enjoy the success she so deserves.
Rating:  - Finally, a fully clothed star with plenty of star power!
Words alone can't express my joy at hearing this album (and seeing the videos) for the first time! After I was severely traumatized by seeing Christina Aguilera's new videos and watching Britney Spears be fondled by more men than a man can count, I didn't think there was hope for a music-loving guy like me. To find a decent girl who had respect for herself, and knew she didn't have to shed clothing to gain respect for the talent she was born with was like an angel from heaven bestowing a gift upon me that I may never find again. Beside these facts, Michelle's talents and musical abilities are beyond my belief. Her dynamics flow very well together, while managing to keep her songs within about three-and-a-half minutes, the perfect pop song length. The use of incidentals such as varying chord progressions, even by changing the main key property, (major or minor) for just an instant creates a pleasing variation to the basic sequences of triads. In laymens' terms, she knows what she's doing when writing music, and she knows when to mix things up. In Branch's song "Everywhere", I can honestly say I have not heard such a variance as there is in the verse two. Her musical knowledge proves to be evident enough to gain respect of one of the most respected musicians in this hemisphere. After completing a project with Matchbox 20 lead singer Rob Thomas, Carlos Santana's choice to ask Branch to co-write and sing lead in a project, proves (if not only to me, to everyone out there) that talent will always triumph over skin.
Rating: - Raw & True to the Soul: Welcoming Michelle Branch
What a talent this teenage girl is- armed with a raw voice and the ability to write songs and play them on guitar, Michelle Branch has proven that she is truly a force to be reckoned with.Michelle's music is transcidental in meaning- it can be interpreted as an act of love, an act of faith, or the pure need to get her feelings and emotions out there. Wave the not-so-dirty laundry. The songs on this CD are stellar, especially her hit singles "Everywhere" and "All You Wanted", which is my fave song on the disc. Other songs that are outstanding include "Something to Sleep To" and "Sweet Misery". This young woman has brought back acoustic music to TRL (thank you, Michelle!), and a fresh sound and voice to an over-hyped, belly-button-baring industry. So, if you'd like to start riding the wave of independence in the music industry, this would be a good CD to start with.
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