Customer Reviews

These Old Charms

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

 

 

I have read a real mixture of reviews on this debut CD. I have listened to the CD many, many times now and find it gets better with each listen.

I agree that the CD limits Theresa's potential, but understand she went with mostly covers and some Can Idol songs in order to have some decent sales her first time out. However, if you listen to the original tunes on this CD, you will see how much potential she has.

I think Theresa is going to be around as an artist for a long time and not only will she have a solid recording career, this girl can write!

Looking forward to her 2006 CD.

My husband and I really enjoy this CD. We put it on and just listen quietly. Relaxed and happy. I can't wait for the next one.

On Canadian Idol, while I didn't mind Theresa, I was never really a fan, as I found her somewhat boring, unchanging, and therefore uninteresting. I still liked her voice though, and when she came to my city for a concert, I attended the show. This was before I bought her cd, and I had no idea what style of music or quality of songwriting to expect. Guess what? I still don't. The three original songs on the album vary greatly, from the mediocre-at-best "She Let Her Hair Down", to the okay song with great lyrics, "Change the World", to the not so great song saved by a great chorus and guitar, "Turned my Back." As for style... well, jazz is obviously her best fit, as the jazzy "Angel Eyes" and "Corcovado" sound the best. "Good Mother" was sung well, but I didn't care for the way she changed up the rhythm a bit (and she almost seemed to shout the line 'god damn miseries'). The rest of the songs were nothing special, as I'd heard them all before on Idol anyway, and every time she goes into the scatting, it sounds the same. That did disappoint me, because at her concert she sang two more original songs that weren't on the album, and they were very well done.

I bought the cd afterwards anyway, mainly because I loved the personality and spirit she showed at the concert (far more lively than on Idol) and I was proud of her for independently recording. I think it gives the cd a more "homey" feel. The album is quite enjoyable, in general she sings well (although in many places it could have been better), and is very nice for easy listening. Still, I use this cd more for background music while I'm studying or reading, rather than really listening to it.

Wow! I am so glad that she did not win that competition and become an instant sellout like Kalan Porter. Anyway, I like her style and I recommend this album to all!

This album is excellent - I was lucky enough to receive a signed copy of it, and it's an album that will not be leaving my music rotation for a long time.

As other reviewers have stated, Theresa's original songs are the stand-outs on this album. Can't wait until she has enough material to come out with a completely original album.

The covers are definitely enjoyable - Theresa adds a bit of jazzy soul to every song she sings, so you can't help but realize that is the spine that binds this album together into a cohesive unit. Her cover of Good Mother is positively haunting, guaranteed to raise the hair on the back of your neck.

Admittedly, the production quality on this album is not on par with artists who have major label backing, but for an independently-produced album, you'd be hard-pressed to find better. This girl is an artist who needs to have the room to express herself within any contract she signs - she's on the hook for all promotion of this album, so let's hope that someone snaps her up with a great contract in time for her next album.

If you like jazzy folky music, I would highly highly recommend that you purchase this album.

when i heard that theresa was coming out with an album, i was excited. i loved her from her audition on canadian idol, and i followed her throughout her journey on the show, voted, and rooted for her during the finale. as it turns out, she lost, but still put out a cd. the cd itself, as a previous review metioned, doesn't sound as polished as it could be; this doesn't take away from the music itself, though. a lot of people were commenting on the song 'angel eyes' as one of the best ones...i found it to be just ok. 'good mother' will always be one of theresa's best songs to sing, and i'm glad that she put it on the album. but i think that the best song by far on the album is 'turned my back'. it's the album's first single, theresa wrote it and played the acoustic guitar for it, and it overall has a feel good vibe that you can dance along with. i only rated the album 4 stars instead of 5 because of the lack of songwriting - theresa only wrote 3 of the 11 songs. the 2 songs she wrote are among the best, so i would have liked to see more of her written material. that being said, she still does amazing covers of all the songs - highlights including 'summertime', 'come away with me', and 'crusin''. overall, a very good album that is nice and relaxing, but fun and exciting to listen to at the same time.

I fell in love with Theresa during the Idol season and vowed to buy her first release. Well, about the only thing it is better than is Kalen Porter's dreck. Theresa's album is marred by poor production and uninspired backing. I still admire her voice, especially on the first and last songs, but her originals are cringeworthy in the lyric department and, overall, I'm disappointed.

IT'S NORAH JONES! IT'S VANESSA CARLTON! IT'S... IT'S... Theresa Sokyrka?

It's not entirely surprising to find yet another successful graduate of the Canadian/American Idol series without a real, solid style. Miss Sokyrka fails to flee the trap her Idol predecessors have fallen into - that of a complete lack of solid musical style or fluency. "These Old Charms" painfully reflects this.

What's commendable about Sokyrka that the other Idols lack is her ability to actually write a decent song. The three songs she wrote herself stand out musically and show that she does indeed have the talent to do something other than sing.

Although listening to this album you'd wonder why exactly she got so far in Idol as she did. The production quality is mediocre at best, and the vocals are pulled away from the music so they stand out above all else... but sometimes the vocals just aren't very good. Pristine, yes, but they often fall off-key or lose any sort of character or charisma.

The musical selections are also incredibly scattered. The girl covers everything from jazz/pop traditionals (Summertime) to contemporary adult pop (Jann Arden, Norah Jones), struggling to find a style that fully suits her. Unfortunately, the style that suits her best is her own, but only three of her own songs are featured. Theresa's songs are the strongest on the album; the covers are weak and just prove that nobody involved in this Idol stuff knows what exactly these artists should be promoted as. jazz? pop? rock? folk? "who knows!" they think, "let's just try everything until we get it right, and even though half of it ends up horrible, we'll put in on an album anyway!"

there is something about her, though, that is likeable. she does seem genuine, but perhaps I'm just biased because I really do like the material she wrote and it makes her seem like less of a produced tool than the rest. unfortunately, the poor choices for cover songs and the mediocre production can't save Sokyrka's first album from being a messy and awkward search for some kind of fitting identity. makes you feel sorry for the girl, really.

Its a great CD. But the CD could be better if it wasn't all mostly covers. Ts got lots and lots of talent and should use it.

I was so disappointed in Theresa Sokyrka's First Album these old charms. I was looking forward in her audition song Gob Bless the Child and purchased this CD just to hear her sing like she sang it in her audition. What a let down. Theresa decided to play it safe on this CD and did not let loose. No emotions. Just another voice and bland at that.