Sandi Thom

I loved Sandi's first album "Smile...It Confuses People" but I think this album is even better. The songs are a slightly different style, which I like, and the mood is overall nostalgic, like the first album, which I love. The tracks have catchy beats and amazing lyrics, and there isn't a bad track on the album, although I do find "Human Being" a little irritating at times.
Overall, a great album from a great artist that should get much more publicity here in the States than she does.

The first track Devil's Beat is a funky tune and got me hooked on Sandi Thom the first time I heard her perform on BBC America. The rest of the album follows suit with great vocals and well-written songs. Fun soulful music, I find it thoughtful, upbeat, new and refreshing, her music is a mix of genres. It's worth buying the import. This is my second Sandi Thom and won't be my last!

I loved Sandi's first CD, which I picked up after I heard "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker" in Starbucks. Of the many songs on there, only one didn't really grab me. Here, on her follow up CD, it's a similar story. I don't feel that I've been grabbed by as many songs as the first, but when she does connect, I'm hooked.

My favorite track is "Last Picture House". Tells a nice story. Devil's Beat, Saturday Night, Beatbox, and Remote Control Me are 5 star songs for me.

There are no bad songs, from either CD, in my opinion. Just some are better than others. It was worth paying a few dollars extra for the import. I'm glad I made that decision.

Apparantly I live under a rock because this album and singer who I had never ever even heard of has made a fairly big splash in the UK. First let me say I bought this at Tower for like $2 and only bought it cause 1. It's cheap 2. The Album cover boasted "The UK #1 album including the UK #1 single "I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair) and 3. Umm did you just read the title of that single? So I bought it and listened to it and was only a tad impressed.

This Sandi is a good enough singer but the single is nothing like I expected and had she written just a tad bit more clever lyrics perhaps that song could've saved the album for me. Instead it's almost the worst song on the album.

She does a lot better on more poppy ballad type of things like "Lonely Girl" and "Sunset Borderline." After listening to the whole album, it occured to me that upon repeat listenings I learn to like it a bit more but right now it's just doing it for me.

Can't really understand what's not to like here. If you're looking for a female singer-songwriter with little substance or quality, look elsewhere. This is music, and it's great music. Not every song is catchy or upbeat, but that's what makes great songwriting: the ability to do different things in music with both tone of music and with lyrics. Sandi has both the chops and the sound to be a hit, should that be her destiny. If not, her music will still resonate with listeners for years to come. Great tracks on this album include (but definitely are not limited to) Time, Lonely Girl, Castles, and Superman. Some songs are of a more folk variety, some an rock-country-alternative, but all are great. Don't read into the negative reviews. I've not talked to anyone who's heard her music (I host a radio show and get losts of feedback from listeners) that hasn't enjoyed it.

I first heard "What If I'm Right" when I was in England last year -- Sandi Thom was on some talk show, promoting her first single. I loved the song, and was sort of delightfully surprised to see that she looked totally freaked out -- her performance was stellar but she was socially awkward with the interviewer. And it was kinda nice.

But I'm disturbed to see that this Amazon page still has the "story" of her rise up in the Product Description section. I think that story has been well debunked by now. There's even a guy in England who claims that the PR company stole his story, and used it to promote Thom instead.

Does it change the music? Not really. The songs are still catchy. But if you care about things like where your coffee comes from, and where your flowers come from, it's worth a Google. I still listen to this CD, but when I hear it, I see Thom as a little more Britney Spears, rather than as the Alanis Morrisette-type she was set up to be.

There are several ways to download free music, and legally too. Always fearful of an FBI crackdown on illegal downloaders, I prefer to get my music through conventional channels. This summer that meant downloading weekly music samplers (twenty-fives songs with a common genre) from Facebook's Apple Students group. It was in one of these piles that I first `sampled' Sandi Thom.

Alexandria Thom (Sandi for short) was born and raised in Scotland. After finishing high school and a stint with a cover band, Thom auditioned and was accepted to The Institute of Performing Arts in Liverpool. After leaving The Institute, Thom made her way back to Scotland where she was contacted by an independent record label. Since then, Thom has moved on to a bigger company and completed her first solo album: Smile . . . It Confuses People.

The album reached number one in the United Kingdom and has now made its way to the United States. You may be familiar with her popular single "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)" which reached the top of UK singles charts and was available via Facebook this summer.
On a very superficial level, the CD title is great because it is so true.

The title also sums up the attitude of the album--upbeat. The folk music elements and the quick tempo in Thom's songs add to the optimistic feel. In other words, this album is perfect if you are having a good day and want to keep the good mood going, or a bad day that desperately needs a switch.

The most important thing, though, is that the songs have substance. The music is resonant, Thom's vocals are wonderful to hear, and the lyrics linger. There is more to these songs than just the catchy pop tune to sing along with on the radio.

"When Horsepower Meant What It Said" opens the album with a nostalgia for the days when life wasn't quite so tame. The song's chorus bemoans, "how hard the path is trodden" nowadays. Then, of course, there's "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker" in which Thom sings about the trajedy of being born too late to be a rocker of the sixties or seventies. This song is fun, with claps keeping the beat throughout, but it also really speaks to the listener. Who hasn't wanted to be a punk rocker?

The real powerhouse of the album is though is "Lonely Girl." This is the only song on the CD that Thom did not write in collaboration. Basically, it has everything that a good song needs: it tells a story, which makes it great for ballad-lovers, while the music, which features a piano and violin, seems reminiscent of jazz. Meanwhile the lyrics read like a poem: "I sometimes see her down by the river / the water dances on her skin / and she can captivate you with her eyes / but she will never let you in." Like many of Thom's songs, this one is tinged with a sense of wistfulness for that which is lost, or maybe for something she never had.

The songs alter between this theme of nostalgia and musings on doubt, as with "What If I'm Right" where Thom wonders if a relationship is too good to be true. Throughout the album an undercurrent of fun and optimism is still maintained. If you don't smile after hearing "The Human Jukebox" you have no sense of humor.

"Time", the song that could be a pseudo-biography for Thom, rounds out this excellent debut which is strikingly apt for college students as they move on to the next chapter of their lives when, "it's time to work and not time to play."

Smile . . . It Confuses People is a truly multivalent album that can give you almost anything you need. Whether it's good music, meaningful lyrics or catchy tune that you're looking for...this one's got it all.

I found this CD on the listening rack and listened to 'I Wish I was a Punk Rocker'. I totally fell in love with the song, but when I listened to the others, I was a little disappointed. The first four songs are wonderful and full of emotion, but it goes downhill from there. After 'Sunset Borderline' she loses the genuine voice and the songs turn into repeats of all the other mediocre songs that are out there... if only she could make more like 'I Wish I was a Punk Rocker'!!!!!

In other words, it was worth buying, but it's far from the best CD I've listened to.

Also check out: Charlotte Martin (luv it)and the Indigo Girls

As the black hole of an impending thirty-eighth birthday exerts an ever-increasing doom upon me, I find myself being a bit indifferent towards most new musicians. Then, on National Public Radio of all places, a tiny tune arose, planting a seed on the barren wastelands of my soul. What is this? my cantankerous little voice grumped. Then moments passed, and I found myself bewitched. Who was that singing backup? My god. It was me. I was actually singing along with Sandi Thom's "I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker."

I guess I just happened to like the song's simple, nostalgic lyrics and instantly captivating tune. The complete lack of instruments was also intriguing. Momentarily, I had forgotten I was supposed to be the cynic. Oops.

Would I recommend that you run out and buy the song immediately? No. Music tastes are fickle. I would however recommend that you run out , run back in, and then begin scanning the airwaves for a listen. Then you can agree or disagree with my 5 star review.

great fun...who cares if the lyrics are not correct, she has a good time...I have a good time. She is not writing CSN&Y music.

Yes, maybe it's true that punks wouldn't be caught dead with flowers in their hair (What? NO DEAD FLOWERS??) , but, y'know what? Who cares! Dude, get a life! I'm sure the title's meant to be ironic. Go look up the word in the dictionary then you might have a clue. If this is your way of thinking, then it's obvious that Green Day and Offspring are what's considered punk. Jello Biafra, Willie Nelson and Noam Chomsky (all divergent people, but that's my point) could show you a thing or two hundred about the true meaning of Punk (Think of them as the Ghosts Of Punk Past or something...) .

As Jello sung back in the day: "Punk's not dead it just deserves to die when it becomes another stale cartoon..."

As far as Sandi Thom goes, man, the fact that she webcast her "3 wk long world tour" says it all. She did it her way. Not by going on Idol or resorting to the music world version of the casting couch. No. By playing her heart out. More power to her!

Just buy the CD to support such an admirable ethic that seems to be sorely lacking in today's musical climate.

As the black hole of an impending thirty-eighth birthday exerts an ever-increasing doom upon me, I find myself being a bit indifferent towards most new musicians. Then, on National Public Radio of all places, a tiny tune arose, planting a seed on the barren wastelands of my soul. What is this? my cantankerous little voice grumped. Then moments passed, and I found myself bewitched. Who was that singing backup? My god. It was me. I was actually singing along with Sandi Thom's "I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker."

I guess I just happened to like the song's simple, nostalgic lyrics and instantly captivating tune. The complete lack of instruments was also intriguing. Momentarily, I had forgotten I was supposed to be the cynic. Oops.

Would I recommend that you run out and buy the song immediately? No. Music tastes are fickle. I would however recommend that you run out , run back in, and then begin scanning the airwaves for a listen. Then you can agree or disagree with my 5 star review.

As for the cynic composer's review below, I would surmise that he may well be composed of crabapples and vinegar. How would I know? I see the same composition in my mirror every morning. The difference is, that after this morning, I heard a song cool enough to turn vinegar into wine.

someone needs to explain to this ignoramus that punk rockers didn't wear flowers in their hair, in fact they hated and were an extreme reaction to the whole hippie aesthetic. this song is all about how great things were in the old days, well in the old days people used to have a clue what they were writing songs about before they schmoozed themselves into a record deal, sounds like another ashley simpson here, the mystery is why it's getting played on respectable radio.

on top of that, this is an annoying watered down commercialized version of M.I.A.s sound, now that is someone who truly brings tough political punk attitude to groundbreaking music. Just because this chick got famous showing her nubile young self on the internet does not make this kool or cutting edge, it's just the same old image and packaging over substance in a new medium. I mean look at the CD cover! And then compare it to MIA's who also does the artwork herself.

FYI I'm not a punk purist, I like all kinds of music, I just know hyped nonsense when I see/hear it, even when it's on the net (how gullible are you people - bet you thought Lonely Girl was real too).

Punk rockers and hippies were both trend setters - perhaps she is speaking of the best of both times -- "in '77 and '69 revolution was in the air..." as in : Punk rocker in '77, and flowers in my hair (hippie)- in '69...?
Anyway, - very catchy song. This girl is an excellent vocalist no matter if you like the song or not. At 43 years of age new artists don't usually catch my attention, but I found myself really listening to this song and even becoming curious about the artist. Maybe because I could understand the words.

As the black hole of an impending thirty-eighth birthday exerts an ever-increasing doom upon me, I find myself being a bit indifferent towards most new musicians. Then, on National Public Radio of all places, a tiny tune arose, planting a seed on the barren wastelands of my soul. What is this? my cantankerous little voice grumped. Then moments passed, and I found myself bewitched. Who was that singing backup? My god. It was me. I was actually singing along with Sandi Thom's "I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker."

I guess I just happened to like the song's simple, nostalgic lyrics and instantly captivating tune. The complete lack of instruments was also intriguing. Momentarily, I had forgotten I was supposed to be the cynic. Oops.

Would I recommend that you run out and buy the song immediately? No. Music tastes are fickle. I would however recommend that you run out , run back in, and then begin scanning the airwaves for a listen. Then you can agree or disagree with my 5 star review.

As for the cynic composer's review below, I would surmise that he may well be composed of crabapples and vinegar. How would I know? I see the same composition in my mirror every morning. The difference is, that after this morning, I heard a song cool enough to turn vinegar into wine.

This song reminds of Gwen Stefani's Hollerback Girl. Very catchy lyrics and a simple bass line. Just a fun song. Highly recommended.

that the song lyrics espouse a return to more real values but the misleading hype about an internet webcast is anything but revolutionary or based on being real

only in this cynical marketing age... pity!

Only in the age of the internet can someone web cast a concert from their basement and become a star. Sandi is a rare talent in our age. Tomorrow she will be a household "Name". Today she is the best female vocalist out there. Buy her music, you won't be sorry. Perfection, Perfection, Perfection!!

As the black hole of an impending thirty-eighth birthday exerts an ever-increasing doom upon me, I find myself being a bit indifferent towards most new musicians. Then, on National Public Radio of all places, a tiny tune arose, planting a seed on the barren wastelands of my soul. What is this? my cantankerous little voice grumped. Then moments passed, and I found myself bewitched. Who was that singing backup? My god. It was me. I was actually singing along with Sandi Thom's "I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker."

I guess I just happened to like the song's simple, nostalgic lyrics and instantly captivating tune. The complete lack of instruments was also intriguing. Momentarily, I had forgotten I was supposed to be the cynic. Oops.

Would I recommend that you run out and buy the song immediately? No. Music tastes are fickle. I would however recommend that you run out , run back in, and then begin scanning the airwaves for a listen. Then you can agree or disagree with my 5 star review.