The Spirit Room, the Maverick Records recording debut of singer-songwriter Michelle Branch, is both instantly accessible and thoroughly meritable with its innocently wide-eyed and passionate performances. Though there is an obvious glossy sheen applied to the production by John Shanks, which is hardly unexpected considering his history of polishing away the rough edges of his artists' work,
Room is the type of album that actually benefits from its overproduction. Branch's songwriting runs through the gamut of predictable adolescent subject matter, from puppy love to heartbreak, and she isn't yet in the place to hold up favorably when at the mercy of her own words. Still, that's not to imply
Room serves best as a commercial for its producer. Though certainly aided by the loud guitars and shiny choruses, this seventeen-year-old Sedona, Arizona native contributes plenty. By now you're well aware of "Everywhere," the rambunctious guitar-driven break-out first single that was impossible to escape from in 2001. Thankfully,
Room has more to offer than a single or two. The beautiful "Something to Sleep To" illustrates the conflict of yearning for opposite things, "All You Wanted" parallels the frantic pace of the outside world and the lonely isolation of looking for more in life and "You Get Me" speaks of the joy of finding someone who accepts you for you:
So I'm a little left of center
I'm a little out of tune
Some say I'm paranormal
So I just bend their spoon.
Though the rest of the material on Room looks at love from a far more predictable and generic perspective, Branch doesn't pull it off any less convincingly. "Here with Me" plays out like a regret-filled confessional of past mistakes and the moving ballad "Goodbye to You" is treated like a powerful tribute to growing up, finding your independence and having the courage to move on to new and more positive things. The most unexpected turn on the album comes from the closing "Drop in the Ocean," a dreamy number that slowly picks up steam while Branch's vocals echo against the musically sparse backdrop and its early offbeat ballad beginnings advance into furiously upbeat orchestration. But let's not go crazy. Room is far from perfect, made all the more obvious by the fact that several songs sound so similar, the album sometimes sounds like it's ripping itself off. This is conventional pop/rock material that's simply been buoyed by Branch's charming performance. But these songs are so darn catchy, and she sounds so excited to be sharing them, it's sometimes impossible to not be carried away.
