:: The Spirit Room

Michelle Branch

The singer-songwriter is a great new talent. Michelle is only nineteen but has the charm and musicianship beyond her years. The music is all wrapped up in a lush production, while maintaining an organic and personable feel. The instrumentation is solid, together with the backing vocals. Michelle is a talented vocalist who, with this set, keeps within her limits. There is nothing too elaborate – it’s simply effective pop with a dash of country twang – sometimes gutsy, sometimes mellow. “Everywhere” has already been a hit, in the way it builds to a lively and charismatic chorus. The rest of the album fit in nicely alongside. “Drop In The Ocean” and “If Only She Knew” are other highlights. She has the ingredients for a long, successful career – the looks, songwriting prowess, and vocals/guitar/keyboard combination. A pleasing result.