I've always liked Scarlett Johansson as an actress and when she released Anywhere I Lay My Head last year I was a little put off by the album. Little did I know that the album was a tribute to the amazing Tom Waits (who I had never heard of at the time). Now that I am a Tom Waits fan, I can appreciate her album and have come to love it. On her new album she is working with Pete Yorn, who I have unfortunately never heard of before. Their first single from their ablum "The Break Up," which was actally recorded in 2006 before her tribute album, is Relator. The track is amazing and is sure to appeal to a greater audience than her first album. It reminds me a little of She & Him, which includes my favorite singer Zooey Deschanel. It's upbeat and it's old school and I think everyone should check it out. You can listen to the full song on their ablum's offical website. I absolutely cannot wait to hear the rest of their album. I think it's going to be great.
So I know that this album came out three years ago but I was fortunate enough to find just yesterday. I totally with love with it and Katie Thompson after the first listen and I literally cannot stop listening to it because it’s that amazing. This girl is not very well known and I’m wondering why.
1. What Turns You On – The album starts out with a sexy blue joint that totally turn you on. The piano part is just genius and makes you want to sway along. It’s a great upbeat track on the album. 2. Eternal Flame – This is a short almost Broadway track which shows off her theater side. It’s probably one of the weaker tracks on the album for me but still brilliant. 3. Birthday- “This is my brat song” Katie introduces the song. This song I fell in love at the first listen. The mixture of songwriting and melody are brilliant. “I’m a beautiful woman I deserve not to beg for my food” are amazing lyrics. And when she goes low at the end of the chorus to sing the words “kiss me,” get me every time. 4. I Only Want To Be Held – This is a beautiful slow song about searching for love. This song hasn’t gripped me yet like the others but it’s very tender and sweet and I think would appeal to a lot of people. 5. Blue April Moon – This song is genius. The comedic lyrics about sex, food, and the blue April moon. It’s a very sexual suggestive song. “No clothes they’re overrated and kill a good mood.” I just love her lyrics. This is probably one of my favorites. 6. Leather – This song continues the sexual suggestions.”Don’t you want more than my sex?” It’s about questioning whether the love is there or if the relationship is just about the sex. It’s such a sexy song especially they was she sings “Oh God” it’s slow and breathy and hawt. This is my current favorite song but it’s been changing so it might not be my favorite for long. 7. It Doesn’t Hurt – This song is how I found Katie. Paris danced her solo on So You Think You Can Dance to this song, well the studio version. I was struck by the emotion in the song and her voice that is brilliant. This song is about what it feels like after someone just broke up with you. The clever lyrics, “It doesn’t hurt unless I walk, I don’t feel anything unless I try to talk, I don’t even cry unless I open my eyes.” So much emotion this is a great song. 8. I Can Be Bought – This song is a comedic one. It has a bouncy beat. It’s about how when you’re poor you can be persuaded by the wealthy. “If it’s enough, you could be in love.” It’s a silly song and it’ll always put you in a good mood. 9. Stay – I haven’t listened to this song as much as the others and I’m wondering why. It’s a beautiful ballad about persuading someone to stay. This song is a possible tearjerker. It’s beautiful and has an amazing piano part. It’s one of those songs I love because they start out slow and build until the last chorus when it picks up and ends slow again. Those songs move me. Love it. 10. Do You – This is a midtempo song. I love the build that she makes with the “do yous” The song seems to be about the women wondering what the man is thinking after years of marriage and reassurance that she’s still doing things right. This song also has some great lyrics, “And the squeak the floor makes as you walk past the door,” and asks some great questions. Plus great vocals once again. 11. Body Pillow – This song is great. Another comedic song, “cause you can be replaced by a body pillow.” It’s an upbeat track with that comes with a warning. The piano is also great in this song too. This song has attitude it’s great. “My body pillow, makes a nice quiet man.” 12. Low – This is such a great song. It plays with highs and lows. This is another song that starts out slow and gets fast. It has a sassy sound. I love when she takes the song up in her high range and then dips down for the “low.” She makes a wonderful use of pauses in this song. “If you’re feeling down…..you deserve it.” 13. Tough – “Put me in a corner, I’ve been bad.” This song is dark and playful at same time. The piano has mystic feel. It’s about giving in to you dark side and saying “If you don’t like my love…tough” 14. Fall At Your Feet – I just don’t know what to think about this song. It’s amazing. The piano part is fantastic. This song really shows off her upper range, which we don’t get to hear in her others, songs. This song is just still hard to place for me for some reason. 15. What’s Love Got To Do With It – Oh my ra, her cover of this song is AMAZING. She starts out a cappella and then brings in the piano. She starts out slow and turns it up. Her voice on this just blow me away. The way she sings it just grips you. She has such power over her voice knowing where to pull back and where to really nail it. She does the perfect riffs on it too. 16. Hurry It Up- It’s a short track. It only ok. Probably my least favorite song on the album. It just doesn’t do anything for me. It even gives me a little of Hurry It Up and get to the better songs. 17. Private Page – The piano part on this song sounds so familiar, I swear I’ve heard it before on a different song. That’s why I can’t listen to this song because it makes me want to find out where I’ve heard the piano part before and I can’t concentrate on the actually song. I’m sure it’s amazing..I just can’t tell. The parts I were able to catch sounded amazing. I really like her voice on this track. 18. It Doesn’t Hurt (Studio Version) – Amazing as the live version. 19. What Turns You On (Studio Version) – Also as amazing as the live version.
Please listen to her…she is AMAZING. You can even go to her official website here -> http://www.katiethompson.com/music.html and download Birthday and It Doesn’t Hurt FOR FREE. DO IT!!!
