Listening Party! - Sarah Buxton - (Sarah Buxton)

I'm one of those who only really started paying attention to Sarah Buxton because of "Stupid Boy" and her cameo in Keith Urban's performance of "Tu Compañía" at the ACM Awards a couple of years back. "Outside My Window" is silly fluff, but I kind of liked the video and am glad it has been a solid enough hit for her that she finally gets to release her album. I like the character in her voice -- it can convey quirky sweetness, but it has shades of Stevie Nicks-esque darkness to it, as well. The Stevie Nicks influence is especially apparent on the album, on "For Real" in particular.

The songs on the album seem to set Sarah up as a female counterpart to Keith Urban. The production is different (very different -- more on that later), but it's just the vibe I get from Sarah as a songwriter (and not just because Keith recorded "Stupid Boy"). Like Keith, she seems to gravitate towards sprightly roll-the-car-windows-down summer jams (like "Radio Love" and "Outside My Window") alongside darker, more introspective ballads (like "Space" and "Innocence"), and the genre orientation of the songs is at least as much pop-rock as it is contemporary country. But where Sarah differs from Keith is that her album is really loud and very produced compared to Keith's work. It's disappointing, too, because the cacophony of instrumentation competes with her voice rather than complementing it. My first experience with "For Real" was Sarah's acoustic performance of it for GAC, and that arrangement makes a lot more sense to me than heavier, percussion-driven one on the album. I'm not even sure the tempo of the percussion and guitar quite match that of Sarah's vocal. But then again, the arrangement puts "For Real" in the space of Lady A's "Need You Now," so maybe that song rates consideration as a single.

Other than "Stupid Boy," the standouts on the album for me are "Big Blue Sky" (not least because of its sparer arrangement), "Space," "Innocence," and some parts of "American Daughters," which I'm surprised to say doesn't annoy me (I guess I just think there's a little bit more of a story there, so it does more to earn the collective fistpump it seeks than most songs that talk about the "American" identity). "For Real" would appeal to me more with a different arrangement even if it isn't that interesting lyrically (I just think the melody carries the vibe of the lyrics well). On the flip side, "Wings" and "Love Like Heaven" are silly and rather treacly pop songs without quirky lyrics or interesting melodies to elevate them.

Overall, the album is pretty solid. I see "American Daughters" as a follow-up single. "Radio Love" is catchy enough to be a single, though it's not a favorite of mine (and it drives me nuts how similar the verses are melodically to those of Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love") and perhaps "For Real" could contend down the road, as well.

ETA: This album isn't in HDD's one-day sales projections article, in which it goes so far as to predict a 12-16K first-week debut for Josh Thompson. Hopefully, that's just because the album is flying below HDD's radar. It wouldn't be the first time a lower-profile country act had done so. If I'm remembering correctly, HDD overlooked Chris Young's sophomore album, too.

The production was a bit jarring for me on first listen, sometimes she feels buried under the mix and her declaration of "Louder, Louder!" at the beginning of Radio Love pretty much sums up the album for me. I definitely prefer her in an acoustic setting, but it isn't cutting into my enjoyment of the album too much. (I'll probably buy the Pajama Sessions and listen to that more though.) I do have a bit of an issue with the "feel how it feels/feel the things I feel" lines; from a songwriting perspective, it bugs me every time.

If Radio Love gets released I hope they acknowledge the Addicted to Love similarity in the video. I doubt they will, but it'd make me like the song more. (I'm so glad I'm not the only one that it drives crazy; I can't seem to disengage the two, so every time I hear RL the video for AtL plays in my head.) Incidentally, some of the guitar work in Stupid Boy and Wings reminds me of Switchfoot.

I hope this does well for her; though I suspect she's one of those love or hate artists, sort of like Jennifer Nettles (not just in terms of vocals, her personality is like Nettles on fifteen cups of coffee).

I tbelieve "Innocence" was a single for her a few years back as it has a video and everything.... Would it be possible for them to release that song (again?) as I really feel its simply an amazing song and is catchy/relatable.

I think it's a great CD and Sarah is unique and refreshing. I've loved all of her singles and unreleased songs to date.

However, I also have problem with Jedd Hughes being featured on so many songs. I truly don't understand the mindset ESPECIALLY since it's her DEBUT CD. On Big Blue Sky it's more like his song than hers. It sounds as if she's singing backup for him. The over abundance of producers is very strange as well.

Overall a great album but I don't understand the song selections and over use of Jedd Hughes. I'm also a little stumped on what will happen for upcoming single choices.

This probably sounded like more complaining than anything but I really do like the album!