KT Tunstall – Eye To The Telescope

Artist: KT Tunstall

Title: Eye To The Telescope

Label: Relentless

Rating: 8/10

FILE UNDER: Aimee Mann on Prozac.

CORPORATE LINE: Tunstall is a sparkling new songwriter with Chinese blood, a Scottish heart, great legwarmers & a cool name. KT celebrates classic singer-songwriting in the tradition of Rikki Lee Jones, Carol King & Fleetwood Mac with an articulate, accessible, immediate brew of rootsy sass, wistful quandary & after-hours atmosphere. KT’s unique perspective offers a rare emotionally connecting intensity through it’s gripping lyrical bite & heartfelt melody. Her debut album Eye To The Telescope is the creative consequence of an inquiring imagination with production duties supplied by Steve Osborne (U2, New Order, Doves).

THE GOOD:
“Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” – Tunstall’s voice grinds like Annie Lennox without being so melodramatic. It’s hard to categorize the song as it mixes rock, country, and folk into a toe-tapping delight.
“Other Side Of The World” – Not only does the hook grab you—the lyrics are solid and not just there to rhyme in an attempt to sell records.
“Another Place To Fall” – Another song with a great chorus that grabs you. Tunstall might not grab you on the initial listen but give it time as every subsequent listen allows the song to grow. “See yourself as a fallen angel/ Well I don’t see no holes in the road but you/ Find another place to fall.”
“Universe & U” – Simply lovely.

THE AVERAGE:
“Under The Weather” – Tunstall might draw comparisons to Norah Jones so it’s interesting to hear the end of the hook with Tunstall singing “Feels Like Home.”
“Suddenly I See” – Sweet sounding without the depth and soul of the rest of the album.

THE BAD:
None.

FRANKLY: People are going to hear Tunstall initially and not understand that there is a lot more to the music. Everyone wants to be swept off their feet the first go around and Tunstall doesn’t do that. Like OK Computer, it takes time to fall in love since this is a lyrical album—thankfully Tunstall included all the lyrics inside the jacket.
What’s great about K.T. Tunstall is the inability to categorize her. She is who she is and it isn’t easy to put her into a category. It’s always great to hear an artist that doesn’t sound like everyone else out there. Eye to the Telescope is as comfortable as your favorite pants.

+ Rae Gun