Amy MacDonald - This Is The Life (CD 2007)

Amy Macdonald continues to amaze me, she is so talented and her album is really good and easy to listen to, with great songs such as Mr Rock and Roll, This is the life and poison prince she has a wide singing voice and a really great sound

Singer/ songwriter/ guitarist Amy Macdonald may still be a teenager but it’s hard to believe her music will ever appeal to her peers. Like Joss Stone, Macdonald has an old voice on her young shoulders. That’s not to say you should dismiss This Is The Life if you’re under 40, but you will need a more mature ear to relate to Amy’s folk-styled storytelling, grown-up vocal and country-influenced guitar.


The young Glaswegian may be currently heralded as 'the new Katie Melua' but there’s something more Cranberries-esque to her warbling. This is highlighted on her debut LP’s first track, “Mr Rock & Roll”- a radio-friendly, sing-a-long jig, full of Celtic campfire nostalgia. Moving on to the album title track, lyrically Macdonald comes across like a wise 39-year-old as opposed to a naïve 19-year-old, leading you to question the authenticity of her delivery. In other words, the words and tone feel somewhat forced.


Gripes aside, there are some gleaming gems to be discovered on this 11-tracker. “Let’s Start A Band” hears a Mexican cowboy intro makes way for Amy to unleash her emotive tones and brilliant lyrics: 'Give me a stage and I’ll be your rock ‘n roll Queen/ Your 20th Century cover of a magazine/ Rolling Stone, here I come/ Watch out everyone…'.
Further notables include the upbeat, brass-heavy roller, “Barrowland Ballroom” and the melodic “A Wish For Something More”- which allows Macdonald to work her vocal to its full range while highlighting her razor-sharp guitar wizardry. The star of the show though has to be down-tempo number “Footballer’s Wife” on which Amy mocks today’s tabloid-fuelled society

Apart from being Scottish like myself, it is Amy's voice that sets her apart from any other female artist at the moment. Ive not heard such a unique voice since Annie Lennox, and her song's are not too bad either. Grab this excellent CD and see what are missing out on.

This is one of my favourite albums, I can listen to it over and over. Amy has a unique voice and style and every song is great in my opinion.

Excellent album had heard a couple of tracks on the tv and thought were so good bought the album and was not dissapointed as all tracks are great infact the best album i had heard for many years, lyrics brilliant, singing superb, you just have to listen to over and over again and highly recommend oythers to buy.

Amy MacDonald's CD is excellent - the first three tracks are well-known releases and her voice carries so well. Even the unknown tracks are worthy and a super album to own. Thoroughly recommended :)

I normally have to listen to a new cd two or three times before I really like it but not with this one. I liked it immedialtely. I had only heard one of her songs prior to buying it but liked how different she was. Would definitely recommend.

I bought this album as I liked what I'd heard on the radio. It took just one listen to be hooked! Really powerful emotional songs which you can't help but sing along to! Well, I can't resist! Great album and I look forward to the next one.

Amy has a great voice that is why I bought the CD.
At first it was not as good as I thought it might be,but then it just grew on me and gets better the more times I listen to it.
A good story telling CD.

Hard to believe that Amy Macdonald was just nineteen when she wrote all the songs on this album. Unlike her contemporaries she doesn't focus on her own personal feelings of love; instead she sings about celebrity culture - Pete Doherty (Poison Prince) WAGs (Footballer's Wife) - people famous for nothing much more than their celebrity lives. The title track, "This Is the Life," reflects the lifestyle she had always wanted to follow since the early days of practicing the guitar and honing her songwriting skills; "Let's Start a Band" is exactly that, a song about being successful in the fickle career of pop music, a theme that is further developed on the song "Barrowland Ballroom," named after the venue in Glasgow that many an aspiring artist wishes to play in.

MacDonald also captures the feelings of ordinary people in the crowd wishing that something exciting would happen in their lives. There is a nostalgic feel to the album, conjuring up vocal images of Kirsty MacColl, and even the album cover evokes the album art of the '70s, looking like the corners have worn away with age. A wonderful debut from a young aspiring pop/folk talent.

I bought this album mainly on the strength of listening to the single "Mr Rock and Roll" a few times on the car radio on my way into work. But I was not disappointed by the rest f the album. Feel good folk music as it's best, but with a modern edge. I think Amy has a great future ahead of her - as long as she isn't tempted to go commercial or "mainstream". If you like Sandi Thom then you will love Amy.

Superb CD - love every track A1
A collection of tracks all very different. Amy is a artist that I will be looking to buy in the future, just love the style and voice - keep up the good work.

I heard several songs from this albym before, liked them and wanted to get the whole album. I generally like th ewhole album but must say that some of the songs sound a bit repetitive- melody or tone wise that is.

Superb album. A good contrast of varying songs and difficult to single any one track out from the others.

Best track is LA ! The album does grow on you but I can't say it is that memorable ! Some of the tracks can seem quite dour and a little bit samey.
Good background music though.

Mr Rock n Rol is great and so I thought I would check out the CD. Glad I did and will buy other Material from Amy McDonald.

I'm 52, and I don't like modern music, BUT, There's always an exception!!!
and this is it. Good voice, Good songs, Good music and with just a hint of the highlands!

In a nutshell…

Punchy. Angsty. Wistful. Agreeable.

What's it all about?

The debut album from 19-year-old singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald sets out its stall with 11 tracks that offer folk-edged rock laced with teen-centric observations on modern life.

Who's it by

Amy Macdonald may be on her way to becoming the next KT Tunstall thanks to her grandmother and father. The former gave Macdonald £10 when she was 12 to treat herself while on a family holiday and the youngster bought Travis' The Man Who…CD.
Inspired by this album, she picked up her dad's guitar and taught herself to play.

In her mid teens she played a number of gigs in Glasgow and Edinburgh, before hooking up with producer Pete Wilkinson and legendary mixer Bob Clearmountain.

Under their expert tutelage, Macdonald has recorded her first album, out this month.

As an example…

"Where you gonna sleep tonight?" – This Is The Life

Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys

There's always room for talented singer-songwriters but this album is the equivalent of knocking on the door, it will be her next effort that will see if they're receiving callers at Chez Grammy.

What the others say

"Her debut album is brimming with great tunes," – Skiddle.Com

"The big voice is a love or hate thing, but the quality of songwriting is less divisive. Her effortlessly melodic twanging epics focus on teen issues," – Guardian Unlimited

So is it any good?

Amy Macdonald's voice enthrals on this album from start to finish, ranging from a soft Celtic lilt to a hard-hitting Glaswegian twang in the blink of an eye – and it's this gloriously adaptable delivery that smoothes over some of the more turgid lyrics that pop up like acne.
Although the good outweighs the bad on this LP as evidenced by Run, with its ethereal and edgy vocals complemented by a U2-esque bassline, which makes you forgive Macdonald for the irritating Youth Of Today and Poison Prince.

The latter being a rant against the elegantly-wasted individuals who populate rock's rich tapestry but the song rapidly outstays its' welcome.

LA is Macdonald's ode to Hollywood star Jake Gyllenhaal, and her earnest voice is superbly accompanied by piano and guitar.

Rounding the album out is the Paul Simon-influenced The Road To Home, a heartfelt number that will bring a tear to your eye.

7/10

3446ian

Realy good music. I have really enjoyed this album!! There are a lot of brilliant sogs on this album and a few not sogood ones. I would buy this again. Good to listen to in the car!! :-)

I decided to buy this CD as I heard an advert on tv and liked the sound of it...I am glad I purchased it as I love the tunes and lyrics...it cheers us all up as we travel in the car and sing along...thanks Amy and all involved.

This is a fantastic album. All tracks are of the same quality as those released so no need to skip any of them when listening! I would recommend this album to anyone who has heard Amy MacDonald sing & enjoyed it.

I heard the two singles from this album, "This is the Life" and "Mr Rock and Roll", and loved them. They sounded to me like some modern day Judith Durham, if you're old enough to remember the Seekers you'll know what I mean.
So I bought the album and listened to it, and I can honestly say I can't remember enjoying a CD on first listening as much as this. It's not an album with two good singles and eight more songs just to fill in the space. Everyone of them had me singing along before the end of the song, so the first thing I did after hearing it was to play it all over again.
Just think about all the best bits of Kirsty McColl, KT Tunstall and Avril Lavigne, and you're getting towards the type of CD this is. If you like anything by those singers, you must buy this CD. Forget the other Amy, this one is the new megastar. Apart from all that, she's cute!
The only thing I dislike is the fact that she's not made any more albums yet!

This is a really good cd, although, being Scottish, I wanted to give it 100%. I think her voice sounds a little like Dolores O'Riordan - a little annoying and breathless after a while.
No' bad, though

I like most music from the four seasons to trance and this is pure Brilliance insperational and fresh !!!