Tunstall tells a lovelorn friend to ditch the hatred and hurt that have kept her a victim and turned her into a heartless man-eater (“Another Place to Fall”). She bails water from a deluged soul on “Under the Weather.” A line on “Silent Sea” finds the singer stronger for enduring life’s storms (“Winds are whipping waves up … the harder they hit me, the less I seem to bruise”). In addition to realizing that her need to be her own master is killing her, she learns from her mistakes, concluding, “I need to be patient and I need to be brave/Need to discover how I need to behave” (“Miniature Disaster”). With regrets of having missed out on love because of a fear of marriage (“Black Horse and the Cherry Tree”), Tunstall lowers her defenses the next time a worthy guy declares his affection for her (the beautifully innocent “Stoppin’ the Love”). “Heal Over” insists that today’s pain will pass (“Sometimes life is hard/It’s gonna take time, but … you’re gonna be fine”) as a woman pledges her support to a teary-eyed friend overwhelmed by circumstances.
“Suddenly I See” repeats the line, “Suddenly I see why the h— it means so much to me.” In a fuzzy relational context, the singer yearns for “somebody to hold when I turn out the light” (“Under the Weather”).
Bluesy. Folksy. Sultry. This Scottish singer/songwriter’s mature, often melancholy style brings to mind Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones and Sarah McLachlan. A few snags, but teens will get a realistic, hopeful view of complex emotions through her Telescope.
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.
