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From bedroom songwriter to international folk-pop phenomenon, Amy Macdonald’s spiral to prominence sounds like a fairytale. With over five million album sales and a string of festival dates behind her, it’s time for the difficult second album. But will the glass slipper still fit with A Curious Thing?
Opening track and first single ‘Don’t Tell Me That It’s Over’ is the perfect soundtrack to a world in disarray, with a sound of equal proportions. A whirlwind of piano loops and swooping string crescendos drive this song to fever-pitch with a storming chorus and dynamics that will have your skin crawling. Along with the anthemic ‘Next Big Thing’, with its tender moments that only accentuate its romping hooks, and the dance-hall frolic of ‘This Pretty Face’, these are the titles most reminiscent of Macdonald’s debut, This is the Life. That’s the similarities dealt with, now for the differences...
The most striking thing about album number two is the diversity of new sounds. Talking about the new album, Macdonald has described it as a ‘natural progression’ from her debut which was ‘essentially me and an acoustic guitar’ and notes how having ‘constantly toured... the whole live side of it has worked its way into this album’. This statement rings true throughout, with much more attention being paid to careful arrangement and instrumentation. Both the elevating ‘No Roots’ and the grand ‘Your Time Will Come’ begin with understated acoustic moments that bloom into full-scale, no-holds-barred productions by their conclusion. The cheery ‘Love Love’ pulses forward, pedalled by a ringing piano riff that hints at 80s dance pop, and the echoing ‘Spark’ and ‘An Ordinary Life’ could comfortably slot into the electro/dance-rock zeitgeist that has propelled the careers of many current indie acts.
A Curious Thing is an album rich in sonic diversity weaved with quiet intimacy and pinned together by a solid collection of booming choruses. However, for all that it has gained in overall tone, the album seems to lack the lyrical charm of its forerunner, relying more on its grandiose studio production and arrangement than the potent but natural hooks of Macdonald’s critically acclaimed debut.
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