Customer Reviews

Drastic Fantastic (CD/DVD)

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Making "Drastic Fantastic" in the same studio Arctic Monkeys recorded "Favourite Worst Nightmare" had a knock-on effect on her guitar, she said.
Certainly the stylish Scot's strings sound as they've undergone more of a thrashing this time round.
KT has taken all the dinner party-pleasing mellow elements that made "Eye To The Telescope" such a success and chucked them into the mix with a fat dollop of funk and a layer of grit.
"Drastic Fantastic" finds the 32-year-old from St Andrews again contradicting the stereotype of the navel-gazing singer-songwriter strumming her acoustic guitar.
Spirited KT once described her music as "stompy, sensitive girl-blues", and the portrayal is now even more fitting.
For all its pop tunes, "Drastic Fantastic" is surprisingly raw-boned.
You can hear it on first single "Hold On", with its near R&B beat, and the toe-tapping "Funnyman" with its indie stylings and moody mandolin.
"Little Favours" meanwhile, is a spunky ode to teen lust, while "Saving My Face" tackles the thorny topic of going under the knife.
Vocally, KT sounds even more confident as she travels through the vocal spectrum from sparky to smoky and sultry.
The album's highlight is "Someday Soon", a dreamily layered ballad she wrote about her painful brief split from bandmate Luke Bullen.
Another winner.
This Is the Life
Made of Bricks

During Beauty of Uncertainty on her new album Drastic Fantastic, Scottish singer KT Tunstall tells us, "There's no sense in traveling if we've already been that way." That sentiment was very apparent on her debut, Eye to the Telescope, where every song was carefully crafted without repeating themes or sounds yet still having the ability to keep each song under the umbrella of adult contemporary. That helped garner the album a rare 5-star rating (out of two hundred and twenty-one album reviews, I have only given out four 5-Stars).

The quote can also be applied to the new disk where Tunstall wisely doesn't true to recreate the quirky hit Black Horse and the Cherry Tree. And that is the blessing and the curse of Drastic Fantastic. That hit was a huge risk that paid off tremendously but on the new disk Tunstall tends to play it safe carefully crafting each song into something that is more traditionally found on adult contemporary radio.

There are some flashes throughout the album like the funky upright bass found on the first single Hold On, but the bassist on the song rarely gets a moment to shine as the instrument spends most of the song forced into the background of the backing track. Then near the end there is a smoky, slow burner Beauty of Uncertainty that builds like a train coming down the track.

The rest of the album though falls directly into Adult Contemporary heavyweights Sheryl Crow and Matchbox Twenty territory: there is nothing horrible but then again there is nothing that really stands out. The polished edges may garner her more radio play, but KT may want to leave the wax behind for her next album if she want to make another album as good as Eye to the Telescope.

"Eye To The Telescope" sold over 4 million copies and its best song, "Suddenly I See", ended up hard-wired into the intenational consciousness.
None of that happens without some prodigious songwriting talent and, without at any time seeming to erect a "genius at work" sign, she's done it again here. From the bumptious rock-out of "Hold On" to the pensive folky pluckings of "White Bird", this is quality stuff.
At the core of the album is a freshness and inventiveness - chord patterns which avoid the usual clichés and keep you intrigued.
Tunstall has never sounded better, and the Sheryl Crow riffs and mid-tempo chick rock of "If Only" and "Little Favours" serve her well.
But beneath the glitz, buttery harmonies and glaring hits, there's the sadness of "Funnyman", which details the mental anguish suffered by her friend Gordon Anderson (of the Aliens); the self-deprecation of "Hopeless"; and a sense that she is torn between her folk past and pop present
These are not, perhaps, songs to treasure for ever, study intently in the early hours or attach to the important landmarks of your life, but you'll be hearing them over and over and they will grow with repeated listenings.
My favourites tunes are the banging out folk-fuelled belters such as "Hold On" and "Hopeless"; on a more tender tip, "White Bird" is soul-sobbingly gorgeous.

Here's a fine lesson in how to return after a world-conquering album.
KT Tunstall's debut, "Eye to the Telescope", was a world-wide besteller, putting plenty of pressure on a singer who was an unknown in Scotland until her thirties.
But she's done everything right with this comeback.
"Drastic Fantastic" offers more savvy, radio-friendly pop, rather more polished than her adored live performances.
Songs such as the single "Hold On" and the catchy "Saving My Face" certainly convince, while her quirks endure - the pretty "White Bird" comes out sounding like "whopper" and her inner Lulu escapes at regular intervals.
She's attempting nothing daring while producing more infectious choruses ("If Only", "Little Favours"), toughening up her sound to match the energy of her live shows ( "I Don't Want You Now") and not forgetting the intimate acoustic ballads that remind the listener she's a real person and not a record-selling machine ("Someday Soon", "Paper Aeroplane").
Unadventurous, but as good as the inescapable gets.
Daytime radio will love it, as will the millions who fell for her the first time.

While "Eye To The Telescope" was oozing with cool, "Drastic Fantastic" is oozing with confidence. Ms. Tunstall comes across as the kind of performer that we seem to be incapable of creating or embracing in the USA any more. I doubt that that is really true, but the industry is only making vapid music from female vocalist available in "Pop Rock", I don't know why we don't hear more of this kind of music on the radio.

Ms Tunstall & band are genuine musicians, and although there are pop sensibilities in the music, in that there are effective hooks to her songs, here is a thinking persons kind of pop, with beautifully poetic lyrics and complex melodies, and a vocalist that actually sings the melody with conviction and emotion, not following the American trend of "vocal gymnastics" to make up for not understanding the message of the song. It probably helps that she actually writes her own material, and therefore doesn't have to guess what the songwriter meant.

If you aren't overly familiar with Ms. Tunstall, you may want to spring for the "Deluxe Edition", which includes a DVD documentary with a legitimate feel to it, letting you have a glimpse of the personality of this very talented woman, as well as seeing her and her band in a very unplugged setting for several songs.

I am thankful that Amazon suggests Artist like KT Tunstall to me to try, and many others that have become some of my secret favorites.

But to the point;
"Drastic Fantastic" is one of those albums that I wanted to hear over and over from the get go; (at least for me) there is no "It grows on you" factor. This is a very edgy sound, alternating between a polished pop~rock and a raw bluesy sound.

All in all, a very addictive CD!

The songs are not as memorable as those on the first album, but it has it's own qualities. I find it a bit darker and less poppy. Nothing really stands out here. Sorry. I was hoping it could have been a second truly great album from here, but it's not. I've noticed as of gotten closer to 40, it takes a lot more to do it for me.

The CD:

If Eye To The Telescope represented a shell that KT Tunstall was tucked away safely inside in, Drastic Fantastic represents this shell cracking open and KT emerging, wanting to show herself to the world. After all, the former had a cover photo of a shy and timid KT, suggesting a retrospective and reflective album, which Eye To The Telescope essentially was. But after just one glance at Drastic Fantastic's cover photo it's apparent that KT now wants to (cliché as it is), rock. And I think she has pulled off a very worthy sophomore effort here, giving us something a little different while not completely abandoning the style and sound that we've come to love about her.

It's true that Drastic Fantastic has a more commercial sound to it and one could say that it's more "poppy." As others have noted, it's also more polished. "I Don't Want You Now," "Saving My Face" and "Little Favours" are the rockers here. "If Only," "Hopeless," "Funny Man" and "Hold On" are more low-key. "White Bird," "Beauty of Uncertainty," "Someday Soon" and "Paper Aeroplane" represent the mellow acoustic tracks, all songs that could easily have been on Eye To The Telescope. So in a sense KT gives something for everyone here. I do think that the album would have benefited from having the last 3 tracks a) not back-to-back and b) not at the end...a rocker would have closed the album off much better IMO.

The DVD:

Contains a total of 3 segments. The main segment, a 1-hour documentary titled "All You Need Is Mud," is pretty much the main reason to get this. It is broken down into the following chapters:

1) Opening Credits - "Turn Into You" 2) St. Andrews, Scotland 3) "If Only acoustic" 4) Telescope at St. Andrews, Scotland 5) "Suddenly I See" live at Fat Sam's, Scotland 6) West Sands, St. Andrews 7) "Saving My Face" acoustic 8) Dance Rehearsals "Hold On" promo 9) "Hopeless" acoustic 10) Behind-The-Scenes "Hold On" promo shoot 11) "White Bird" acoustic 12) Press at Outsider Festival, Scotland 13) "I Want You Back" live at Outsider Festival, Scotland 14) KT's birthday party 15) "Ain't Nobody" acoustic 16) Glastonbury Festival 17) "Hold On" acoustic. The acoustic performances of songs from Drastic Fantastic consist of KT outdoors jamming either with her band or just friends (I can't tell which). The other chapters are self-explanatory.

The second segment consists of a 13-minute mini-documentary called "Interview: A Comic By Robin Footitt" and is exactly what it implies: a sit-down interview with Robin, the artist who created the comic booklet for Drastic Fantastic. This was interesting to watch once, but I can't see it calling for repeated viewings by most people.

The final segment is merely a 3 and a half minute photo gallery with KT's music playing in the background.

This version has a really cool color drawing of KT walking through a field of flowers.

A quick note about the packaging of this deluxe edition. KT obviously had the environment in mind when laying it out. The CD is housed in a unique tray made out of some recycled material that seems to be a cross between styrofoam and an egg carton. As much as I applaud KT for this I'm a little skeptical about the durability of it, so you'll probably want to handle it carefully. And the DVD is housed in a pocket slit which is fine, but one must take care not to scratch it when removing it and putting it back.

So, who should buy this CD/DVD deluxe edition? I'd recommend it to those who are big enough fans to want to learn more about KT's experiences before "making it big," and who are generally interested in some nice bonus features. For the everyday casual fan though, you'll probably want to just stick with the CD-only version. But whichever version you buy, Drastic Fantastic is one great album.

KT Tunstall's debut "Eye to the telescope" went platinum and had a pair of smash hits in the catchy, finger snapping blues/folk/rock "Suddenly I see" and "Black horse & the cherry tree".

A few tracks on "Drastic Fantastic" continue and expand on that; the excellent snappy lead off single "Hold on" being a prime example and which should linger on in people's memories like the afore mentioned pair. Other sunny upbeat numbers include the catchy "Little favours", "I don't want you now", and the lovely "Saving my face".

For the most part, the mood is softer and soothing; the stark, atmospheric "Paper aeroplane", and the slowly shuffling acoustic "Beauty of uncertainty". "Someday soon" has a folk/jazz feel, there's the country tinged "Hopeless", the wistful "If only" (nice repetitive refrain), and the folk/blues of "White bird".

My favourite track is the raggedly jangly "Funnyman" whose upbeat nature belies the somber nature of the lyrics. Excellent harmonies too!

Not a drastic change, but fantastic!!!

I so love KT Tunstall's Eye to the Telescope that the second I saw this CD, I snapped it up with great delight. I didn't even know that she had a new CD coming out so finding this one was a bit like Christmas. The CD certainly didn't disappoint.

Tunstall's sound is hard to describe. This CD seems to have more of a rock edge to it than her previous work. I think it is my inability to fit it squarely into a genre box that makes it such a great CD for me. There are some really great guitar riffs, particularly on Little Favours. Musically, I think this CD is more inventive than Eye to the Telescope, though that one was by no means lacking in creativity. This CD is more diverse, touching on every style from rock to folk to the somewhat country flavored Hopeless. Tunstall's voice is also wonderful on this disk. Her voice sounds surer and there's no doubt that she owns this music, that it's tailor made for her. She has one of the best voices on the contemporary scene. It goes from smoky to sweet to raw and is so distinct from the manufactured pop princesses.

Tunstall's other great strength is her lyrics. She glides through her words playfully, serving to showcase the cleverness inherent in her songs. I especially love listening to her sing about "this little universe between our backs" in Little Favours. It's one of the catchiest, most colorful song lyrics I've heard in some time. Tunstall does a wonderful job of painting a scene with her words. Sometimes playful and sometimes mournful, her lyrics have an undercurrent of perceptiveness and intelligence that makes them such a joy to listen to.

In short, Tunstall has been a long time in the coming. After having to suffer a long line of undertalented and overexposed Barbie wannabes, it's a marvel to have a genuine musician to enjoy.

The talent that this young Lady has acquired along with the abilty to use this talent shines in her preview movie that is offered by Amazon.com. Her ability is noticable from the second that she sets foot on the stage.An extremely multi talented Musician that has a broad range of variety and the lead vocals to back them up. What a refreshing young talent to add to the music Industry.