Samantha Osaduke
Contributor
Colbie Caillat, 23, released her third album All of You in July and despite being rejected from American Idol twice, the optimistic, bubbly California girl has been riding the wave of success. Her positive vibe has become a touchstone for her fans and she maintains her wholesome, girl-next-door image.
Caillat begins the album with two upbeat yet romantic tracks: “Brighter Than the Sun” and the summer wedding favourite, “I Do”. She is happy without pretense and her overt happiness is contagious. “Before I Let You Go” deals with the hardships of love and feelings that aren’t mutual.
“Favorite Song” is interesting because it features an unlikely pairing with rapper Common, veering more on the pop/reggae side. As someone who doesn’t particularly like rap music, I was disappointed with this song and I only really enjoyed the chorus. Common adds little to the track, singing “Turn it up, y’all” and calling her “Cobie”. It was an interesting idea, but not in keeping with her typical style.
The Common guest spot is followed by “What If”, a previously unreleased track from the movie Letters to Juliet. A hopeless romantic song, “What If” has a good beat reminiscent of her 2007 hit “Bubbly”.
“Shadow” brings out more of Colbie Caillat’s country side. Her western sassiness is refreshing and catchy.
“Think Good Thoughts” is a slower paced but highly optimistic, mellow track. She sings, “Cause words can be like weapons/Oh and you use them, you regret them/Oh but I’m not gonna let them take away my heaven”. If you’re having a bad day, this glass half full approach will certainly cheer you up. The same vibe is followed in “Like Yesterday”.
Love was a prevalent theme throughout the album but Caillat could broaden her range to include more topics facing twenty-somethings. She encourages you to pursue your dreams in life — a sound message — but love is the only source of angst.
There was no stand-out track, but I personally think that “Brighter Than the Sun” is the best song here. Caillat remains effervescent throughout a slightly one-dimensional album. Her music is uplifting and carefree, and she has clearly matured in the last few years beyond cute melodies.
I miss her deeply personal songs like “Battle”, however her true strength has always been in her love songs such as “The Little Things” and “Realize”. Despite her confidence, she still has some insecurity.
The artist has a back-up singer turned boyfriend, adoring fans, and a soon to be successful album under her belt. Colbie Caillat has it all.
