Singer/songwriter Brooke White knows a thing or two about recording an album. Therefore, it is no surprise that she excels on her sophomore album, ‘High Hopes & Heartbreak,’ on which she wrote 11 of the album’s 12 songs. The album is the first courtesy of June Baby Records, a label formed by White and ‘American Idol’ judge Randy Jackson.
The track tasked with introducing audiences to ‘Heartbreak’ is the catchy “Radio Radio,” the album’s second single. The song, which was co-penned by White and Dave Cobb, shows the bubbly side of White’s personality that many fell in love with while she was on ‘Idol,’ and the song is without a doubt a feel-good one. This song marks the beginning of the presence of White’s piano talent on the album, which meshes extremely well with the disc’s overall Carole King / Carly Simon sound.
This upbeat, sing-song theme is found elsewhere on ‘Heartbreak,’ most notably on “Phoenix,” which is the closest comparison to material by Carole King on the album. The dated instrumentation works in White’s favor, as it gives the song an eclectic feeling. The album’s title track, “High Hopes & Heartbreak,” is another up-tempo track that fuses seventies influences with a folksy background.
On “California Song,” White invites listeners to sing along and have fun without worrying about getting the lyrics wrong. The incorporation of different elements of California life in the lyrics allows listeners familiar with the state to identify with the song.
The album’s first single, “Hold Up My Heart,” sets a serious tone that allows for White’s vulnerability to shine through, as a story is told through the song’s lyrics (“When I am weak try to always find the best of you and me / but I will always be the one who understands you”) and allows listeners to identify with the feeling of weakness yet retain a sense of hopefulness.
On “Out of the Ashes,” White expounds on the quiet confidence she builds in “Heart” to result in a pretty vocal performance, as she is aided by Steve McEwan’s vocals on harmony. “Little Bird,” which White co-wrote with fellow Season 8 alum Michael Johns and Cobb, is an area where the Carly Simon vibe is felt, and the sound effects added throughout the song give it a laid back feeling.
“When We Were One” is a ballad that features a chorus with a hook, allowing White some leverage as a potential single. The song itself sounds as if it could have been set to any style of music that is in at the moment, but her choice to apply her own style to the song results in a unique and ear-pleasing result that fits right in with the album’s other songs.
White’s strongest effort on the album comes in the form of “Smile,” a sweet, subdued-sounding ballad that has matching lyrics (“It might take a while`/ maybe a couple million miles / until I forget your smile”). The addition of stringed accompaniment that enters near the end of the song adds another aspect that heightens the emotional effect the listener feels. “Sometimes Love” is a close second in terms of quality, as the simplicity of the melody results in a powerful effect on listeners.
‘Heartbreak’s only cover comes as its sixth track, as White tackles Kings of Leon’s hit single “Use Somebody.” The arrangement is obviously very different, but the experiment works quite well.
To close out the album, White advises listeners to “Be Careful” in a nurturing, friendly manner. The stringed accompaniment adds a sense of sentimentality.
The bottom line of ‘High Hopes & Heartbreak’ is the fact that Brooke White possesses a single characteristic that many artists nowadays lack: she knows exactly what kind of artist she was born to be. She is not out to become the next huge pop superstar, instead she is concerned with showing fans that she is confident in the genre of music she records. This confidence shows immensely.
High Hopes & Heartbreak hits stores nationwide tomorrow and is now available to purchase on iTunes.
Showing posts with label hold up my heart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hold up my heart. Show all posts
Monday, July 20, 2009
Album review: Brooke White's 'High Hopes & Heartbreak'
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Digital sales roundup: "My Life Would Suck Without You" #9 (3/6/09)
Not as many Idol-related tracks as usual had their full sales made public this week, but the two that did on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart were certainly interesting.
Kelly Clarkson's monster hit "My Life Would Suck Without You" kept chugging away, selling an additional 102.2k downloads for the week. It has yet to slip below the 100k threshhold since its release in mid-January and now boasts a total of 1.147 million. The single slipped only 2% in sales and fell just one spot to #9. Expect a healthy increase in next week's numbers thanks to Kelly's album release and a bunch of promo events and performances for the single this week.
The only other Idol alum to have her full numbers released this week was Brooke White, whose debut single "Hold Up My Heart" took an expected 73% plunge in sales accompanied by a 76-spot collapse to #103. It sold 14k for the week, totaling 65.2k after just two weeks.
Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks on Pulse as follows:
009 008 Kelly Clarkson, "My Life Would Suck Without You" 102,241 -2% 103,828 1,147,104
103 027 Brooke White, "Hold Up My Heart" 14,042 -73% 51,171 65,213
Total sales are in bold.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Track review: Brooke's "Hold Up My Heart"
Brooke White sounds exactly the same on “Hold Up My Heart,” the lead single off her first post-‘Idol’ album, ‘High Hopes and Heart Break’ (June 2), as she did on the show. Translation: her vocals are pure and beautiful.
Although there is nothing flashy about “Hold Up,” the song gets by just fine with its simple melody and AC elements. The lyrics are a bit less generic than those found in most songs on the radio nowadays, which is in large part thanks to the songwriting skills of White herself.
There are parts where the song sounds a little too lackadaisical and daydream-y to be a hit, but the tenderness of the vocals and arrangement give “Hold Up” a unique sound that has not been heard in a while.
Brooke White may not be the biggest star out there, but she will continue to quietly make a name for herself in the arena of adult contemporary music, and “Hold Up My Heart” is just the first step in her journey to fulfilling a long and fruitful career.
Purchase on iTunes.
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