I didn't know too much about Tracy Chapman before I decided to review her new CD Let It Rain. I had vague recollections of "Give Me One Reason," a collaboration with Eric Clapton, which was the only reason the song was decent. But after trying to explore a different kind of music than I usually listen to, I discovered once again just why I don't listen to it.
All I could think about as I struggled through this album were the scenes in shows like Party of Five, with slow introspective music and various camera shots of a girl sitting in her pajamas on her window-seat wrapped in a blanket: she's gazing into the rainy night in deep despair, because she's discovered her boyfriend is simultaneously sleeping with her best friend and her lab partner. The 45-second scene implies that, by listening to the CD and putting in a good night of reflection and contemplation, come morning, she'll be a strong, sexy, charismatic person again, with the whole world to conquer.
I commend Chapman for her messages of happiness and hope, and for always remembering that the sun will still rise tomorrow; too much music today stresses negative and destructive themes. But overall, her lyrics are unimaginative and repetitive. It seems like her voice stays on the same minor chords, in the same octave, with the same tempos in every song... Basically, her shit all sounds the same! I won't bother commenting on the instrumentals because they don't add to or detract from anything, they're just there to backup her voice.
So if you're ever feeling down and you need something to put on in the background of your TV teen-drama problems, pick up this disc. Better yet, let me know, because I've got an extra copy that I don't think I'll need anytime soon.
