Search - Teitur :: The Singer

Struggling Mixture of Styles vs. Raw Talent - 3.5 Stars

Neil Dewitte | Birmingham, AL USA | 05/22/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The Singer is Teitur's third album. In this album he struggles a bit to maintain the cohesive and "wistful, yet optimistic" qualities of his first two albums, both of which were very good in my estimation.



Let me start by saying that Teitur's vocal and musical talent is undeniable and it shines most brightly in his highly produced songs. Not that his songs need be highly produced - Teitur sounds great live and in his acoustic tracks. He has been aptly called a modern troubadour, a moniker that fits him well.



This album suffers from having too many sad songs mixed in with what sound to be experimental, rather than classically melodic accompaniments. His previous albums did have some of these same types of songs, but just not a preponderance of them.



Teitur has always been a master at being intimate without being overbearing or annoying. Unfortunately this album definitely is skewed towards melancholy. If the sad songs were fewer in number and about universal topics as opposed to specific, personal topics they would be a bit more appealing.



The album does have a couple of redeeming exuberant tracks that will have broader appeal. These tracks include Catherine the Waitress and my personal favorite, Start Wasting My Time. This last song is a great example of self-realization.



Overall this is an Average to Good album. I wish I could give it 3.5 stars instead of 3. Overall the album lacks cohesion and is a bit melancholy. If you are a Teitur fan I recommend picking it up."