Serendipity Media

Completed during an eight day recording stint in April of 2000, Michelle Branch's indie release, Broken Bracelet, was originally sold at her shows and passed along a few times as her demo. When summarizing the sound of the eleven tracks on the album, it's tempting to describe each and every one of them as an acoustic guitar-driven mid-tempo ballad. Fans will instantly recognize "If Only She Knew," "I'd Rather Be in Love" and "Goodbye to You," as all three were revamped the following year for Branch's Maverick debut, The Spirit Room. "Sweet Misery" is also found here; first as a bubbly acoustic number and second as a bonus, further stripped-down version that concludes the album, and the fact that it's one of the least deserving songs to be included twice is a bit frustrating. As nice a collector's item it may be, Bracelet is ultimately the sound of a young songwriter eager to write but without much to say. Being so young, Branch doesn't have many personal experiences to draw from, and she doesn't sound invested enough in the material to make up for her lyrical shortcomings. Bracelet is certainly a must-hear for Branch's fans, especially for the six tunes that have yet to resurface on her major label projects, but it's also far from mandatory listening for those outside of her dedicated fan base. Broken Bracelet is a set of cute songs that never never become anything more than unremarkable background music.