This is a CD to tuck into your picnic basket on a summer day. It's not a collection of songs you will pore over to determine some deep meaning, but it's a perfect album for relaxing and watching the world go by on a warm afternoon. Despite some insinuations of calculated efforts from her family and well-connected friends, Coco is pure, easy pop with abundant familiar charm.
Strong Pop Music Pedigree
Although it may appear that she came out of nowhere, Colbie Caillat hails from a strong pop music pedigree. Her father Ken Caillat co-produced Fleetwood Mac's blockbuster albums Rumours and Tusk. Colbie grew up surrounded by top pop music and musicians. It would seem easy, given her background, for this first album to come off stilted or sound like Colbie is trying too hard. However, it is just the opposite. There is an easy charm on Coco that will instantly win over many listeners. The MySpace-fueled hit single "Bubbly" is not a fluke.
MySpace Fans Respond To What They Like
One fascinating aspect of the influence of online social networks like MySpace on the music industry is that fans are gaining a more democratic voice in what becomes popular. Some artists are beginning to breakthrough bypassing the usual music industry gatekeeping, advertising, and hype. Colbie Caillat made her initial breakthrough with fans via a MySpace page well before receiving a recording contract.
Colbie Caillat's Coco and its first hit "Bubbly" are not about making a significant political statement about the world or about sexual innuendo. Instead, pop music fans are responding to a straightforward personal reflection on emotion and experience in a mostly happy, fulfilled life. In this way Coco is genuinely a breath of fresh air.
Top Tracks on Coco
- Oxygen
- Bubbly
- Midnight Bottle
- Tied Down
Colbie Caillat Finds Her Niche
Hot sales via iTunes show there is clearly a niche for an unaffected light pop singer/songwriter like Colbie Caillat. Listening to Coco you will be reminded of possible influences on Colbie Caillat. The mood and feel of "Bubbly" seems to echo both the lighter moods of India.Arie and Corinne Bailey Rae's "Put Your Records On." The exquisite guitar work on "Midnight Bottle" is reminiscent of classic Fleetwood Mac. The soulfulness in Caillat's voice is surely in part impacted by her appreciation of Lauryn Hill. However, the true achievement here is that Colbie Caillat pulls all of the influences together into a distinct, warm, friendly package that will provide many pleasant listening hours for a growing legion of fans.
