KT Tunstall - Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon
KT Tunstall's latest effort is one of the most puzzling submissions of the year, in the fact that it sounds so bloody good, that you wonder how she hasn't drawn to this point in her career faster? That isn't a stab at Miss Tunstall's previous work, all of which I have fully adored (though Drastic Fantastic was a slightly dry patch), but the signature produced on Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon is something she seems almost born for, much like a comic book super hero. This elegant, slow swinging strike of the chords record is possibly the most relaxing thing I've heard all year. Some artists approach towards a stripped down, minimalist sound can usually lead to their very downfall, but the country tone of Tunstall's voice brings to life the Arizona landscape in which it was written. Noted as a "from the heart" album, inspired by her recent divorce and the unfortunate passing of her father, the album never feels like it's dragging the audience down with anything at any point, instead turning said woes into positive energy, that never seems to overwhelming. Maybe it was wasn't upbeat enough for this year's criteria? Who knows.