Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Brilliant Debut Album From One Of 2004's Best New Stars, December 11, 2004
In 2001 Daniel Bedingfield burst onto the scene with his debut single "Gotta Get Thru This" which became a massive UK No.1 single. His album followed similar success throughout 2002 and 2003 selling more than 1 million copies. Then in 2004 as he took a break to record his new album, his young sister, Miss Natasha Bedingfield, also burst onto the scene! A lot of people were sceptical to begin with as they thought she was just cashing in on the already-famous Bedingfield name, but the music soon spoke for itself. In the UK Natasha has experienced amazing success in 2004 and I'm sure this success will only continue into 2005.
After the Top 3 success of her first two singles in the UK, Natasha released her debut album "Unwritten." It went straight to No.1 in September 2004. The album itself is, for a first album, very good indeed. The music has many elements to it that make it a memorable debut, including pop, soul, rock, indie, and dance. Natasha incorporates all these themes into the songs on this album to create something that isn't just your typical pop album, but something a little bit different - a little bit left of the middle. A lot of artists do this and can't still appeal to the mass public, but Natasha has done it effortlessly here.
The album opens with the superb "These Words." The second single to be released from the album in August 2004, this song went straight to No.1 in the UK and has become one of the year's most played radio hits. It's not hard to see why because it's a breezy, upbeat song that just flows in the beautiful choruses with Natasha's gritty vocals. "Single" is the next song, and was Natasha's debut single. She sings of being independent and on her own, but we've heard all this before from Destiny's Child, Christina, Britney, etc. The song itself is good but it never really attracted my attention. "I'm A Bomb" is much better, thankfully, and is definitely worthy of being a single. The word play and clever lyrical style works well here along with the hard and loud guitars. "Unwritten" is the third and latest single to be released from the album and became a big Top 10 hit. It's a light and breezy song with a very memorable backing. The choir works very well and the chorus is also very well constructed. Someone said this sounded a bit like an Alanis Morissette song. It doesn't.
"I Bruise Easily" is another beautiful song and has a very chilled, mid-tempo feel to it. I love the beat on this song and the piano is very emotional. Natasha sings of how she's very fragile in the middle, despite her racy, brave exterior. It's a really nice song because you can relate to it very well, and the way her vocals go all breathy in the chorus makes you feel this. "If You're Gonna..." totally switches back to Natasha's daredevil nature in a fast, loud rocky pop song about taking risks in life. I love the chorus where she sings, "If you're gonna jump, then jump far! Skip the 'um' and 'ahh.' If you wanna hit the high notes then you gotta be a Diva!" The way her voice rises on 'Diva' is so funny! "Silent Movie" is another fantastic song, but it took quite a lot of listening to get me to like it. It opens very strangely like something out of an old silent movie from the 1920's where all the screen is dull and crackly, with a yellow tint to it. The chorus soon kicks in and is very refreshing. "We're All Mad" is another superb song with a catchy beat that's similar to track 4. The chorus is very strong as is the case with most of the other songs here, and the build up to it is probably the best part of the song.
"Frogs & Princes" is a really strange song that sounds like something right out of a Disney movie set in an alternative universe. The blips and beeps work very well, and the chorus is really swift. That's the only way I can really describe it because, unfortunately, it sounds like something from the Spice Girls album "Forever!" The next song, "Drop Me In The Middle," features Bizarre from D-12 and just doesn't really fit with the album. The song itself is alright, but I really hate D-12 and just to have him on an album doesn't work. Plus, Natasha makes completely different music to him and his band. "Wild Horses" thankfully is a much better song. She sings about wanting to go out into the big wide world and be free of negativity, but it's easier said than done. Horses are used as the metaphor to put this across, and I think she does it very well. "Size Matters" is a jaunty little pop number about the size of a man's heart and how he uses it. It's a bit of a corny song, because we all know what people refer to when they talk about a man's size! "Peace Of Me" closes the album but it's not a very memorable song.
OVERALL GRADE: 7/10
I'd definitely recommend this album to people who like artists such as Nelly Furtado and Alicia Keys. It has an 'alternative' appeal to it, but not really alternative to the point of abstraction from, say, Bjork or Tori Amos. I've still yet to buy an album by Daniel, and I really want his debut because I loved all the six singles that were released from it. Natasha's a better artist in my opinion because I really love this album. I can't see myself listening to it in say ten year's time, but who knows? Make up your own mind - everyone's talking about her.
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29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Britpop is better, November 18, 2004
"Gotta Get Thru This" put Daniel Bedingfield on the pop map as a great producer and artist. His brand of pop unashamedly infused retro Michael Jackson with recent pop trends. Who could forget "James Dean" or "If You're Not the One"? Everyone knew that that guy had an ear for good music, but it was unlikely that his sister would rise due to his success.
Natasha Bedingfield is one sister nobody saw coming. This New Zealander climbed onto her brother's rocketing success and got a contract. Surprisingly her effort, Unwritten, is not a pawn in the record industry's game is it would be.
The album approached pop with the same vigor as her brother's. Her buoyancy on tracks such as the hit single "The Words" make it a treat to listen to. Other tracks rely on a strong message and a catchy zeal like "Single" - an anthem to every lonely heart.
Standouts include the heartbreaking "I Bruise Easily" and the title track.
The lyrical tongue-and-cheek of "Frogs and Princes" is, for the lack of a better word, cute.
Unwritten is a sweet effort. Approach it with no pre-conceived notions.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice surprise!, January 4, 2005
So I was walking around the music store where I work, and I found this just sitting there, and I was like "Oh...Daniel's sister!" I didn't own Daniel's CDs, because the music isn't quite what I like. I listened to it, and wow...I was very surprised. She's very different than her brother, but you can tell they are siblings...they have the same accent which is actually really cool.
The music is kind of R&B and goes along the same kind of Europop/rock kinda stuff. Jeanette is a good example of what she sounds like, but she's unique just the same. It's bouncy and it's hard in places, but it has kind of this hip hop feel.
My favorite tracks on the album are "If Your Gonna" which is more rock than anything. It's hard for her album, and it's something I can dance to as well. Another favorite is "These Words" of course, is good. It sounds like PINK. I tell you, she really does sound like Pink for more American audiences.
So anyway, I love this album, it's good, it's Eurorock/pop stuff. If you're into that, pick this up. If you like Daniel, then pick this up, because it's his sister...come on!
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