A “White Bird” with a sullied tail symbolizes both purity and pollution on a personal level. The verses on “Hold On” are hard to make out, but the chorus is a clear admonition to persevere through seasons of change. Despite feeling “Hopeless,” Tunstall demonstrates enough mental clarity to see areas in her life that need work. Liberated from a bad romance, the singer confidently tells her ex-boyfriend “I Don’t Want You Now.” “Someday Soon” seems to be about finding balance between quiet introspection and a willingness to take healthy risks.
“Little Favours” is a mildly sensual description of a couple trying to bridge an emotional void.
Awash in sweetly ambiguous melancholy, this CD is hard to critique concretely. Some teens will pick up poignant philosophical musings left open to interpretation. Others will hear the incoherent emotional ramblings of a woman lacking direction. Or it could be some combination of the two. What is clear is that Tunstall’s Sarah McLachlan-meets-The Pretenders artistry has dutifully avoided explicit content.
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.