Sarah Whatmore - Time To Think

(Muso's Guide, April 1, 2009)

Album review

As easy as it is to dismiss reality pop stars, the law of average says that for every Rik Waller and One True Voice, there is a Will Young.

That is, someone with a discernible talent who is prepared to wait out the glitz and tack of the shows and grab the real prize - that is, the exposure to be able to follow their talent into a career. It’s tough because there are so few positive examples, but in amongst the Popstars/Pop Idol/X Factor litter of Chico and the Cheeky Girls, there are some fantastic examples of how it just… works.

Scoffing? Think the crystal clear pop magnificence of Girls Aloud - from the very first note of ‘Sound Of The Underground’, they have shown followers how not to be ashamed of reality roots, and with grace, style and not a little pizzazz. From a similar reality melting pot sprang Mancunian Sarah Whatmore, way back in the Pop Idol ether of 2001.

Perhaps best-known at the time for a proposal from Mr Cowell himself, Sarah’s burgeoning pop career didn’t get much further than two singles ‐ ‘When I Lost You’ and ‘Automatic’ - before the album was pulled and she sank without a trace. Eight years later, she’s back to show us what she’s learned - and it’s safe to say that she’s spent the best part of the noughties with her nose firmly stuck in the complete set of Encyclopaedia Reinvention.

Gone are the seedy, Europop rhythms of Sarah’s début single - replaced instead by the sombre, sensitive melodies of a young woman who is comfortable in her own skin. From opener - and lead single - ‘Undefined’, Sarah ploughs a new furrow - a heartfelt piano-led ballad with guitar which complements a rich, mature vocal awash with soulfulness.

‘Smile’ is a natural follower, sweeping in with the scent of the Isley Brothers’ ‘Summer Breeze’ , lazily sexy with California sunshine baked right in, with the lyric, “I’m my own woman, swimming against the stream”. Truer words have seldom been sung. Sarah Whatmore will not be for everyone, of course. There’s nothing here for the rock fan, who likes their riffs ear-bleeding and their vocals raw and screaming - nor for the hard house fan who wants banging beats and nonsensical lyrics.

But for the music fan, who seeks a musician truly enjoying their own skin, Sarah Whatmore is a gift. The minor key melodies of most of the tracks reflect a wonder of heroes like The Carpenters, while the rich, honeyed vocals make the whole album an easy listen with layers of depth to discover.

The Pop Idol days put far behind her, Time To Think shows there’s a lot more to Sarah Whatmore.