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RATING:  
SINGAPORE : Marie Digby is one who can truly say she is thankful for the evolution of technology. For without the likes of YouTube and MySpace, the American singer-songwriter may possibly not have risen to fame, or at least not so quickly.
Her cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” on YouTube spread like wildfire and before you know it, she’s releasing her second album. Unfortunately, the very technology that launched her career turned around and bit her in the butt - the entire album was leaked on to the Internet just months before its official launch in June.
Titled “Breathing Underwater”, the album about the trials and tribulations of love was written over a two-and-a-half month period last year when the 26-year-old was falling in and out of love, so expect a mix of emotions.
Compared to her debut album “Unfold”, this album is heavier in mood, and has a lot of R&B accent in it due to collaborations with various accomplished songwriters such as Brian Kennedy, who has worked with the likes of Rihanna, Ciara and Brandy.
It starts off strongly with great tracks such as “Daybreak” and the album’s first single “Avalanche”. The former is an interesting first track to the album, with great piano melody and percussions accompanying Digby’s clear voice and she delivers with impact.
And though “Avalanche”, which Digby wrote during her ‘down’ period, is about a crumbling relationship, the only way is up for this single which looks set to be a hit on local airwaves with its sprightly rhythms accompanied with drum beats and catchy lyrics.
Midway through, I easily found my favourite in “Feel’’, a very soulful track with an R&B edge à la Timbaland in his various collaborations. “Come Find Me” is another enjoyable ballad that leans towards a refreshing New Age sound, breaking the monotony of the other tracks.
But things go downhill from “Machine” as Digby fails to sing out the angst of being controlled and craving for freedom. And it doesn’t help that “Crazier Things” has got a very annoying bell accompaniment - which I initially thought was coming from my neighbour’s room - throughout the song.
Overall, “Breathing Underwater” sounds disappointingly quite like Digby’s first album, not because of the musical arrangement but for her safe vocal range. It is especially frustrating when you know she has a lot more to give, for example in the track “Overboard” where she’s got an Arabic groove in her voice. I was nicely surprised by her capability to play with her vocals that way.
While Digby has a better chance of breaking into the charts with this album, she needs to work on moving away from the super safe teeny poppy vocal and becoming more adventurous.
“Breathing Underwater” is not exciting enough to get me to part my money or queue at a record store, however, there are tunes worthy to pick up and purchase online. I am sure even Digby would approve of this to illegal downloading.
- CNA/il
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