aaamusic | On 12, Feb 2011

“Bella” is one of those albums that I am confused by; Teddy Thompson is obviously an incredibly talented songwriter and there is no doubting his vocal which is rich and majestic. However, on his fifth studio album there is a tendency to reach for the formulaic radio friendly song that Thompson has previously avoided.  If there is one thing that I could recommend about this album it is that you skip the opener unless you are willing to presume Thompson writes his songs with his lyrics based heavily in the sarcastic; Lines such as “I’m looking for a girl who’s good in bed, but knows when it’s time to knock it on the head” makes this writer hope that this song has been written with tongue firmly placed in cheek.

However, once one gets past the horror that is “Looking For A Girl,” the rest of the album is actually rather rewarding managing to put Thompson’s fantastic vocal at the forefront but still never moving away from the melodic. There are obviously folk elements to the album but rather than sticking to one genre, the album shifts between several and Thompson clearly has an ear for a good pop track which some might find surprising. “Tell Me What You Want,” the album’s duet is clearly reminiscent of 50s and 60s pop with a lovely result that is not heard enough in modern day pop music; it is a cute little track that manages to have a big impact with its resulting wonderful vocal blend.

The problem with “Bella” is that it seems too polished and slick at times as its most interesting moments are when production is at its sparsest. “Home” for example, is hauntingly beautiful and is so delicately made that its fragility stands apart from the carefully formulated structure of the rest of the tracks on the album. Indeed, tracks like “Take Care Of Yourself” allow the listener to hear an altogether more fragile sound from Thompson as he glides into a beautiful meaningful falsetto that manages to be as effective as it is affective. “Bella” then has tracks to ignore but everyone will find something they like here, even if it is just the warm swell that is Thompson’s vocal.

Author: Josie Payne