Meanwhile, out in Hollywood, they've discovered the touching ballad "Somebody" and used it in the movie Win A Date With Tad Hamilton. On this song McKee narrows her focus to one of those impossibly lonely weekend nights when you're not sure if you're missing somebody or just the idea of somebody--but it really doesn't matter which, since all you can think about is your own pain. She goes through the motions of trying to carry on with life, but there's no relief. Again, she's skating into dangerous territory--only about a billion sappy "woe is me, I'm alone" songs have been written, and most of them are terrible.
But "Somebody" is not, mostly because McKee lets the vulnerability in her voice show through. Over a shimmering background of processed piano and Hammond organ, she unwinds her hope for a better romantic future, but it's always intertwined with a little bit of fear that "the one" just got away.
When you're talking about an emerging artist, particularly one who's as young as Bonnie McKee is, it's tempting to talk about the potential they show. But that just ignores the fact that they've already become something now. And what Bonnie McKee is right now is a singer-songwriter with a supple voice who knows how to write 'em the way they used to. The production on these two singles may be a bit slick for some tastes, but underneath it all there's some soulful and creative music the likes of which we've not heard for a while--not since the first heyday of the singer-songwriter, when Laura Nyro, Carole King, and Carly Simon were coming out of every radio. You can buy McKee's record, or you can give your silent permission for five more years of pathetic Britinica Spearguilerason garbage. Don't let the terrorists win, people. Bonnie McKee is exactly the sort of artist we should be encouraging.
Article comments
1 - Mark Hasty
I don't know why my blog sent three trackbacks to this post. It was only supposed to send one. My apologies.
2 - visualsimplicity
Hey, I just heard her song recently on LaunchCast and thought it was interesting so I looked her up. I come to blogcritics the same day and I see this. How coincidental. Her songs are alright, but if she ever gets mainstream appeal, she'll most likely get lumped in with the other pop stars simply because of the way she looks.
3 - Eric Olsen
very nice job Mark, thanks - it is too bad they don't trust her "artistic" ability and emphasize the faux-glamor angle: she doesn't look all that comfortable with it
4 - Mark Hasty
About the only thing I can say is, they tried much the same thing with Tori Amos back in the late 80s, promoting her as a heavy-metal vixen (if you can believe that). Eventually her talent overcame the hype machine's demands, and she was able to make her own kind of music and control her image. I hope the same thing happens with Bonnie--she really does have a lot of talent.
5 - Mark Saleski
interesting. i happened to listen to this cd on the way to work this morning, and found myself thinking that i'd really, really like to hear McKee actually pull a true sing-songwriter, girl-with guitar thing.
the songs are pretty good, but the production can make a person think she's just another dance-lite artist.
too bad, really, 'cuz she does have an interesting voice as well.
6 - Mark Hasty
First of all, thanks to whoever cleaned up the multiple trackbacks. I don't know if that's an issue with MT 2.64 (which I use) or if it's just a server/ISP issue. Whatever.
Mark, I agree that the production does sometimes get in the way of the music. But I listened to the local hip-hop station today over the lunch hour, and I realized just how noisy radio songs have become. To somebody raised on a steady diet of contemporary rap and R&B, Bonnie McKee's songs would almost sound like Springsteen's Nebraska album. So maybe they know something we don't; still, I'd also like to hear her without all the studio frippery.
7 - Eric Olsen
We usually get multiple trackbacks because people don't realize the trackback doesn't show up on the page until the page is rebuilt by a comment (or rebuilt for whatever reason), so they keep repinging - one time I saw like 13 from one site.
Anyway, "whoever" is typically me, and I am more or less back in a normal mode of operation now.
8 - Mark Hasty
Naah, I wasn't repinging--my MT will sometimes send multiple pings to other blogs I link to as well. I usually get "read error" or "time out" in my activity log afterward.