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September 15, 2006 > Arts & Entertainment > KT Tunstall brings talent, passion to the Houston Saturday

KT Tunstall brings talent, passion to the Houston Saturday

By Teddy Bucher | For the Thresher

Picture a female pop artist performing. A woman gyrates on stage, most likely lip-synching, while pre-packaged music plays in the background. While Christina Aguilera and Nelly Furtado may have talent, their concerts, for the most part, are merely show. However, a glimmer of hope lies in KT Tunstall, whose performances — like her 2004 album Eye to the Telescope — focus more on music than spectacle.

Tunstall released her debut album, Eye to the Telescope, in 2004 to British critical and consumer acclaim. It has steadily risen in popularity in the United States, as many of its tracks have surfaced in a range of outlets — exposures include this summer’s The Devil Wears Prada and television shows such as American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. And practically half of the album has been featured in various episodes of Grey’s Anatomy.

To confine Telescope to only one genre is difficult, as many of the songs sound completely different from the ones right before or right after them. However, a clear, folksy feeling pervades the album, and soul influences often sneak into Tunstall’s solos.

Many of the album’s tracks have a feel that is not so much raw as simply classic, focusing heavily on the acoustic guitar — played by Tunstall herself, instead of an anonymous strummer-for-hire — and simple vocal harmonies.

Tunstall’s sound is, for the most part, uncluttered. Songs like “Under the Weather” and “Silent Sea” begin with soft, simple guitar tones and gradually layer in a light rhythm section of drum and piano. Tunstall’s smoky voice, comparable to Natalie Cole or early Norah Jones, remains bright and crisp for all its sultry timbre. The result is most often echoing, melodic and entrancing.

However, Eye to the Telescope relies on a few more upbeat songs such as “Another Place to Fall,” “Suddenly I See” and “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” to keep listeners interested. The driving beats and simple energy in each of these tracks complement the slower rhythms of the other tracks: They furnish the momentum and liveliness necessary to hold the casual listeners’ attention.

Tunstall’s concert tomorrow should prove to be well worth the ticket price. The songstress extracts the passion of her songs through energetic performances, flaunting that rough vocal edge that can get filtered out through the recording process. The venue is also small enough to provide intimate acoustics, especially during the more subtle songs in the performance. Expect a showing of genuine talent and all-around good music.

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