Spurred in large part by Katharine McPhee's energetic renditions of KT Tunstall's infectious debut single "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on the 2006 season of AMERICAN IDOL, the Scottish singer-songwriter became a somewhat unlikely mainstream pop star. Second album DRASTIC FANTASTIC refines the mix of alternative rock, Delta blues, and singer-songwriter folk that defined her debut album, EYE TO THE TELESCOPE, putting straight pop songs like "Hold On" and "I Don't Want You Now" comfortably next to jazzier tunes like "Someday Soon" and bluesy rockers like "White Bird." Tunstall has grown as both a lyricist and a melodicist in the span between her first and second album, and DRASTIC FANTASTIC also features a more assertive sound as evinced by the tongue-in-cheek glam-rock cover photo.
Drastic Fantastic CD
Note: DRASTIC FANTASTIC is also available in a two-disc deluxe edition with a bonus DVD.
Personnel: KT Tunstall (vocals, guitar, ukulele, cello, Fender Rhodes piano, glockenspiel); Paul Stacey (guitar); Jimmy Hogarth (acoustic guitar); John Petrocelli (Spanish guitar); Sam M. Lewis (dobro); David Angel , David Davidson (violin); Kristin Wilkinson (viola); John Catchings (cello); Kenny Dickenson (Fender Rhodes piano); Steve Osborne, Arnulf Lindner (bass guitar); Luke Bullen (drums); Willy Mason (background vocals).
Kt Tunstall
Rolling Stone (p.89) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t's high-gloss folk pop, confessional in form if not in content, crafted with intelligent attention to every detail." Spin (p.112) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Her effortless melodies drive jaunty power pop and fingerpicked coffeehouse folk." Q (p.90) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "'White Bird' has a slinky campfire-jazz ambience....Better yet is 'Beauty Of Uncertainty', which builds from sparsely plucked acoustic guitar and hushed whispers to a cascading climax..." Uncut (p.109) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "On DRASTIC FANTASTIC, you'll find haunting world-folk, scratchy blues...[and] stark, moody etudes."
Have to admit not what I expected. Hi, I was absolutely blown away from her first album and this album brought some dissapointment to me. When I listen to some of the songs I expect a radio announcer to say this is Mix 106.7. It just seems to main stream and it made me quiet sad. Kt Tunstall does have some of her self here though, like in "Beauty of Uncertainty" and "Someday Soon."
"Hopeless" is another great one reminding me alot of "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree." But "I don't want you Now" and "Little Favours" are just like the mainstream junk we hear plastered all over the radio. Maybe I just had too high hopes for "Drastic Fantastic." But when you produce a CD like "Eye to the Telescope" and then put only half of your potential in the next one there is bound to be some dissapointment.
Donna M. Submitted by Donna (Tampa, FL, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
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