Customer Reviews

Tissues & Issues

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(29)

 

 

Call her "crazy chick." Charlotte Church debuted as an angel-voiced soprano in her early teens, belting out opera and hymns alongside more seasoned singers. But like many other young stars, she's become a tabloidal darling with her partying and blabby boyfriends.

Now she has joined the pop choir. In "Tissues and Issues," Church completely drops the crossover-classical sound; instead, we get a slew of vaguely funky-Latin bubblegum. But the teen-angsty sound keeps it mediocre rather than amusing, as does the fact that Church hardly ever uses her pipes.

It kicks off with some funk-flavoured pop tunes, which sound perfectly suited to radioplay and clubs. This also disguises the fact that they are outrageously bad -- the tunes are catchy and not too bad, but the lyrics stink: "I may like the rain, I may like the symphony/I may like the feel of your frame on my frame..."

At least nobody can claim that Church is only doing a few kinds of pop music. She also tries out some overwrought piano-pop, overproduced synthpop, and finally some "confessional songs," focusing mostly on rotten relationships. As a result, the whole thing feels very scattered, with nothing to unify them.

There are a few good ones -- "Confessional Song" has a restraint and quietness that the other songs lack, and "Easy to Forget" is an expansive flamenco-pop tune. Unfortunately, these are almost the only ones on the entire album that don't feel like a pop grab bag.

It's actually rather entertaining to hear Church's poorly-written efforts to sound more mature -- lots of quasi-sexual lyrics, with a nod to S&M. It's such an obvious effort that it's actually funny. "I like the sound of your shirt ripping/My will slipping under the table/I like the sound of your hand slapping/Your whip cracking, this could be painful!" Church is completely in earnest, but that only makes it funnier.

What isn't funny is the sad misuse of Church's voice. Though she overworked it in the past, it obviously still has powerful depths. They simply aren't used -- she croons virtually all the songs in a one-note manner that is more worthy of Britney Spears than a trained soprano. Only a few, like the hyperangsty "Even God," make use of her smooth, strong vocals.

"Tissues and Issues" is unintentionally funny, but it lacks any real good points. With her voice and background, Church could have done better than halfhearted imitations of Britney Spears.

Charlotte Church is well known as the soprano from Cardiff who belts out the classics, selling millions of albums of hymns and light opera to crossover classics buffs. She's also pretty well known for her extra-curricular activities too, from blabbing boyfriends, weight related gaffes and other classic foot-in-the-mouth incidents.

She re-invents herself on this album, casting aside the classical façade, and releasing her inner pop star. The album lets Church show her pop, funk, rock and even flamenco talents, but she sounds like a different singer with almost every track. The opening track (and second single) "Call My Name" could have been mistaken for a Shania Twain song, and the same can also be said for the first single "Crazy Chick". They're both buzz-worthy songs, but a long, long way from "Voice of an Angel", especially the lyrics.

There's no filler material here, but listen for tracks where she sounds like Wilson Phillips, Madonna, Amy Lee and even Olivia Newton John. Slightly ballad-heavy, other tracks to watch are "Moodswings", "Finding My Own Way", the dance ready "Let's Be Alone", "Casualty of Love" and the grand finale "Confessional Song".

If this experiment pays off, it'll be extremely interesting to see which direction she goes in next.

Amanda Richards, August 9, 2005

One of the Beatles' early albums was titled "Something New" - and that could very well have been an appropriate title for Charlotte Church's latest effort. In fact, many of Charlotte's veteran fans may very likely be less than pleased with this new CD, for it is entirely different than anything she has ever done before. Rather than hymns and light arias, this record finds the celebrated Welsh soprano doing flat-out mainstream contemporary pop. While the first single, "Crazy Chick", is essentially bubblegum-pop aimed at the Top 40 charts, most of the album consists of R&B-flavored material that is occasionally reminiscent of Mariah Carey and Alicia Keys. For instance, "Easy To Forget" is the sort of run-of-the-mill mid-tempo R&B number that one might very well expect to hear Carey doing on a typical "lite FM" station. The difference is the extraordinary voice, with its rich melodic quality, dead-on intonation, and unusually well-developed upper register. There is a real warmth to Charlotte's vocals that adds depth to otherwise undistinguished material. Among the other songs on "Tissues & Issues" that tend to stand out are the Keys-influenced "Fool No More", "Casualty of Love", and "Moodswings". All in all, this is a worthy effort by a fine artist who certainly deserves to find mainstream success on adult-contemporary radio.

I absolutely love Charlotte Church's voice, but I couldn't stand even 1 song on this CD. She's lowered herself to a "Brittany Spears-wanna-be."

Monotone songs, horrible bass, every song sounds the same. I am extremely disappointed in this collection of music.

Buy this one and you're just wasting your money.

Would the REAL Charlotte Church please come back?????

Personally I expected the worst, couldn't imagine Charlotte Church going pop at all. I was surprised to hear that she sounded so different, even played it for my keen-eared husband and he couldn't guess who it was. He, my daughter, and I are all fans of Charlotte's and have seen her perform in person. The verdict from all of us is we truly love her new style and voice. There aren't many female pop vocalists that I like, incidentally.

I don't understand why there are so many negative comments...I guess people expected soprano pop? Considering all the drivel and crappy music that's on the Billboard charts, it amazes me that this CD is receiving such low scores. Oh well, Bob Dylan was boo'ed when he plugged in his guitar...the folk music "purists" got their panties in a twist. Possibly Charlotte's experiencing the same reaction. All I can say is that no one owns anyone, and of all people, artists are entitled--and should be encouraged--to expand their horizons.

Poor Charlotte Church. I really and truly feel badly for her. She spent her early singing career giving the people what they wanted. Now, she's made a transition, and everyone's clamoring for the little girl she once was.

It seems easy to label this as a weak attempt to re-capture the public's attentions, but I wonder if it ever occured to anyone that this might just be what -Miss Church- wanted to do. It's horrible to be pigeonholed. The world doesn't end when someone branches out.

That said, no, this isn't the best album I've ever heard. It's a conglomeration of typical pop tart tunes. No, Miss Church doesn't belt it out a la primadonna, and, yes, this is like nothing we've ever heard from her before.

But, the tracks are fun. It's just fluff. You don't have to analyze the lyrics, the music, her newfound and tentative style. You can actually just -listen- to it. It's great party music, great driving music, even great dancin' around in your house alone music. There's nothing particularly wrong with it except that it's radically NOT the Charlotte Chuch so many thought they knew and loved.

Give the girl some credit for trying something new. It's fun, funky, not terribly fresh, but definitely NOT a flop. And, in the end, at least we all know that she can actually sing, unlike so many of the other through-the-nose pseudo chanteuses "singing" their hearts out on American Idol and MTV.

Gone on _Tissues & Issues_ are the operatic aria's, broadway renditions and sweetly sung lullabies heard in the past. In their place are more mainstream pop/r&b-inspired songs. And while I can't blame Charlotte Church for trying something new, in her case the transaction from opera to pop star has not worked well in her favor, as did the similar evolution of Sarah Brightman.

Now I know she's been through a lot of unruly criticism in her lifetime but the issues at hand sound too much like all the other watered down teen angst being spewed on the radio these days with most of the music and lyrics lacking substance. That's not to say all the material here is bad, though. "Show A Little Faith" and "Fool No More" are two surprisingly sultry ballads; "Let's Be Alone" is a great dance track; "Casualty Of Love" has a subtle, addictive flamenco groove, and "Confessional Song" is one of the few instances in which she'll tug at your heartstrings (if only a little).

Charlotte Church still has a far ways to go but I have faith that she'll eventually come full circle and wow us all someday. Granted, she has the voice, but I also believe she has the potential to do more than just sing well. However, it's quite apparent she has some growing up to do first, and perhaps some soul searching, too, to hopefully unearth her own unique style.

Charlotte.... oh God! what a change!!! that's pretty sad. I didn't liked this album, just one tune... the one of Even God.... but i hope youll gét back to sing like an angel

Do not listen to what you hear, for all of it is made up crap!!! This album is an awesome transition CD from the classical Charlotte to the pop Charlotte. The songs are all interesting, and will appeal to certain people. Some songs have such a strong meaning and powerful vocals that you just can't believe what other critics tell you. These songs on this album are all songs that you can dance to, and man is it fun!!!

Call My Name was originally written for a man to sing, but after some changes courtesy of Charlotte, the song became a huge success! SCORE = 5 / 5

Crazy Chick is an awesome piece to dance to, and after the first time that you hear it, you can't get it out of your head! The finishing note on this piece is high, just like in Charlotte's classical career! SCORE = 5 / 5

Moodswings - AWESOME! There's a cool beat, a cool tempo, and awesome lyrics. SCORE = 5 / 5

Show A Little Faith - It's an okay song. SCORE = 3 / 5

Finding My Own Way - This was the deciding piece that told Charlotte that she would write some of her own pieces. Actually, she co-wrote 7 of the 12 pieces on this album.
SCORE = 4 / 5

Let's Be Alone is such an annoying piece! The loud speakers make Charlotte sound as though she has a head cold! I wouldn't listen to this piece. SCORE = 1 / 5

Easy to Forget and Fool No More are extremely bluesy types of songs. Easy to Forget has light vocals, and is extremely pleasing to listen to. However, Fool No More is a really loud piece, which would be pleasant to listen to. BUT, Church puts a weird accent on certain words - Here are the lyrics, and the words that sound weird are capitalized and are pronounced the way she sings them -

You can't fool my heart anyMOE
So now I'm walkin' out the DOE
You've taken my soul, now let go
I'm not that fool I was beFOE
I'm not YO fool no more . . .

Pretty annoying, huh?

Easy to Forget SCORE: 3 / 5

Fool No More SCORE: 2 / 5

Easy Way Out is a piece that Charlotte wrote about one of her friends in a situation. It's got strong vocals and background music! AWESOME! SCORE = 5 / 5

Casualty of Love is a Salsa song that would be perfect at a Mexican restaurant. There are high vocals that sound a bit strained, but not a bad song! SCORE - 3 / 5

Even God (by Boy George) has to be the best piece on the album because it sounds as close to Church's previous classical career. SCORE = 5 / 5

TOTAL SCORE = 41 / 55 = about 75%

This album is great! I've always been a Church fan, and I simply loved her as an opera superstar. I don't prefer her now as a pop singer, but she's still great! Hopefully, there will be a U.S. release of her album. GO CHARLOTTE!

Charlotte Church has such a beautiful voice, & it's sad to see her sink to this.
I'm not against her doing pop, but couldn't she have done good pop instead of this drivel? I don't know why she has allowed her voice to be drowned out & disguised on this massively overproduced album. Basically, it could be anyone singing.