Very few artists these days manage to sell 2 million copies of an album. Count Southern California singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat among the exceptions. Her debut effort, 2007’s Coco, just went double platinum, propelled by the likable, lazy charm of low-key hits “Bubbly” and “Realize.” Now Colbie is back with her second effort, a record that deviates very little sound- or subject-wise from her first outing. Once again, Colbie weaves a curious kind of acoustic magic as she somehow makes lost love sound about as inviting as a laid-back stroll on the beach.
Breakthrough‘s most positive moments come on the songs “It Stops Today” and “Fearless.” The former focuses on intentionally facing our deepest hurts (“I just can’t keep on running away from here/I know that the only way to make it is to be fighting my every fear”). Meanwhile, “Fearless” finds Colbie clinging to her self-respect as a former beau walks away (“Then this is how it ends/And I’m alright within”). Happier sentiments can be found on a pair of innocent love songs. “You Got Me” captures the breathless first blush of infatuation (“I think I felt my heart skip a beat/I’m standing here and I can hardly breathe/You got me”). And “Fallin’ for You” offers more of the same (“I’ve been spendin’ all my time just thinkin’ ’bout you”).
Much of the remainder of album delves into the details of romance gone awry (neutral content that’s neither positive nor objectionable). A couple of times, Colbie gets cold feet (“Droplets,” “Runnin’ Around”). More often, she struggles to make sense of a special guy who didn’t find her quite so special. On “I Won’t” she refuses to take an ex’s advice to forget him. “Begin Again” pines for a second chance when Colby realizes in retrospect how good a relationship actually was. “I Never Told You” is a woman’s confession of how deeply she felt for a guy who left her—words she apparently never spoke (“I never told you/What I should have said/ … Now I miss everything about you”). “Breakin’ at the Cracks” is the most mournfully earnest song here, as a woman repeatedly pleads, “I need you back.”
Two breakup songs reminisce about the sex a couple once shared. “I don’t wanna pretend you’re not my lover,” Colbie sings on “I Won’t.” And on “I Never Told You,” we hear, “I miss those blue eyes/How you kiss me at night/I miss the way we sleep.” Similarly, “Begin Again” contains some mildly suggestive lines (“I look for you in the morning/ … I can’t wait to get to the evening/’Cause that’s when I want you the most”). Language-wise, “Break Through” includes two uses of “d–n.”
Looking at Colbie Caillat’s album cover portrait, you wouldn’t think the smiling, seemingly carefree songstress would have much trouble with romance. The album itself, however, tells a different story as she mostly contemplates why lasting love seems so elusive. “These songs are about growing up, experiencing life, love, making mistakes and learning from them,” says Colbie in the liner notes to Breakthrough. That’s an accurate summary of this album, actually, with particular emphasis on love and making mistakes. Most of the missteps Colbie chronicles have to do with matters of the heart. Occasionally, though, growing up and experiencing life move beyond just an emotional connection and allude to a physical one as well.
After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.
