After falling in love with Gabriella Cilmi’s playful debut single “Sweet About Me,” I couldn’t wait to hear more. Thankfully her album Lessons to be Learned doesn’t disappoint.
While listening to the album it’s easy to forget that Gabriella is just 16 years old. Her soulful voice sounds so much older, and the tunes she’s penned show a maturity beyond her years. The comparisons to Amy Winehouse are inevitable. Vocally they do sound very similar and they both share the same penchant for quirky soul numbers. But while Ms Winehouse’s songs speak of sadness and tragedy, Gabriella’s songs are brimming with youthful optimism and joy.
The album opens with a burst of energy in the form of “Save the Lies,” an upbeat lead in to her popular first single. Then the album changes pace a little, with the introspective ballad “Sanctuary.” The bubbly rhythms of “Got No Place to Go” are infectious, and the vintage charm of “Cigarettes and Lies” is loads of fun.
Lessons to be Learned is essentially a pop album but it enjoys flirting with genres, and therein lies its strength. Gabriella dabbles with jazz, adds a dash of blues, and spices it up with a good dose of soul, yet this CD is never alienating. Instead this eclectic mix allows Lessons to be Learned to stand up to repeated listens. Every song is strong, and these days that’s a very rare thing indeed.
Image supplied by Warner Music Australia
Gabriella Cilmi is hot stuff at the moment. Her debut single “Sweet About Me” is all over radio, and it’s sitting pretty at number 12 on the charts. Add to that her upcoming support slot on James Blunt’s tour and we’re going to see a whole lot of this Melbourne teen in the coming months.