Open Web Player
![I'M DOING IT AGAIN BABY! [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41Gm5Gqi3JL.__AC_SR166,182___.jpg)
![Bryson Tiller [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ww0PTSAeL.__AC_SR166,182___.jpg)
This is a fantastic collection of songs from my favorite artist.
Brave- **** ¾ (out of 5)
In Sara Bareilles' previous albums, most of her songs look inward. Most are about love-on-the-rocks, breakups, mental turmoil and the struggle to become who she wants to be. But with The Blessed Unrest, Sara marks a new mastery of looking outward; and nowhere is this newly-expressed extroversion more clearly enunciated than in this sweeping exultation of courage.
Chasing the Sun- *****
Set in a cemetery yet bursting with hope; Chasing the Sun is a love poem to humanity. The sense of place in this song is fantastic; set in queens but with Manhattan as a backdrop, Sara sees Tombstones as skyscraper's little brothers and the bustling population surrounding her as '3 million stunning reminders.' The dead aren't to be feared, she teaches us, they are inspirational; they 'show us the proof,' 'dare us to move' and help keep us chasing the sun.
Hercules- **** ¼
I didn't care for this song on first listen; the experimental weave of the melody needed a few audiences to properly seep into my soul. Now I rather like it and not just for the original sound, but for the clever use of Hercules as a symbol. Sara pleads 'I was meant to be a warrior please,' showing that she isn't praying for a strongman, but for strength.
Manhattan- ****
A slow, somewhat standard sad song about a breakup that hearkens back to Sara's 'Little Voice' days. It's solid and lyrically well-composed, but relatively unmemorable compared with the grand experiments that populate this album. Here, Sara is freely giving away Manhattan, a place she loves, to a lover she can no longer have.
Satellite Call- **** ¾
For the sad and lonely among us, there is no substitute for being seen and appreciated for who we are as individuals; to have someone who's there for us and no one else. But Sara makes a hell of a go at reaching all the lonely children with this beautiful, ghostly song. Satellites are so far away and so surrounded by empty space, they make for a painful but beautiful metaphor. But satellites were also made to be contacted and we could all use a satellite call from time to time.
Little Black Dress- *****
A happy/sad/happy song. Happy because the melody is bouncy and fun and it's about a little black dress. Sad because the dress and melody are the necessary tonic for a social circle that's been manipulative and cruel. Then happy again because the tonic works; by song's end Sara has mentally found a way to 'return to the scene of the crime' 'connect the dots' and 'rewrite the final lines.' Sometimes finding perspective is the best revenge.
Cassiopeia- *****
A stunning array of themes and ideas; storytelling, romance, the age of the stars, astronomy and the psychological influence of the constellations. It feels like a companion piece to Carl Sagan's Cosmos, which is my favorite science book. But Sara takes this whole cosmic blend and sends it through a super collider of precision language, crafting a mythology that is a glorious to listen to and supernova sexy.
1000 Times- **** ½
Just another evocative, deeply-moving breakup song from the master. Here, the steps between two discordant lovers form '105 little blades in a line' and the normally cathartic process of putting one's sadness into words, 'can carry the pain, but don't free it' from love's cage. Ho-Hum.
I Choose You- **** ¾
I'm very surprised this hasn't become a radio hit as it's probably more mass-market friendly than even Brave. It's an easy-going ode to finding love at last with a catchy refrain. It sounds like a really-good Colbie Caillat song, only with and about a thousand times the self-awareness.
Eden- **** ½
Sara's satirical edge, seen previously in Love Song and Machine Gun (among other songs) is on full display here. This song's target is the idyllic image of show business, contrasting it with a garden of Eden where the 'angels started acting the same' and 'less than beautiful is worse than unholy.' Not quite as melodious as some of the other songs here, but the sound is intriguing and the theme is unique and revelatory.
Islands- **** ¼
A love-on-the-rocks song with the inverse metaphor from Satellite Call. So instead of being about trying to make contact with lonely satellites, this song it about preparing yourself for breakup, for the severed connection, by becoming an island.
December- **** ½
The cold of December can seep deep down within you. But in Sara's December, this chill can help you find solace and move on. But in Los Angeles, where 'the leaves are all still changing' and 'the weather here is mild' the 'artificial cold' can't sink deep enough to force out the shadows she wants to move past. This sense of irony (cold as comfort) gives this slow song just the right amount of edge.
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Frequently bought together
$7.98
Get it as soon as Thursday, Apr 25
In Stock
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Similar items that may ship from close to you
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Top reviews from other countries
Apurva
This album is one of the best works. If you like the new and coming ...
Reviewed in India on January 6, 2015