by Jacob Alvarado
Sara Bareilles first graced our ears when she wrote us a love song. Then she captured us when gravity of a man wouldn’t keep her down. She is one of the most gifted songwriters of our generation. Her sophomore album Kaleidoscope Heart is a real treat. Her lyrics are astounding and her melodies hypnotic. She tells of her life struggles and hardships through songs that capture our imagination. Sara Bareilles’ music is truly a fairytale. 
The album opens with the soft “Kaleidoscope Heart”, and then goes into the more upbeat song “Uncharted”. This song paints a picture of how even though her path in life is uncharted, she knows what she wants and she is taking us on her journey to find her purpose. The happy ditty “Gonna Get Over You” pretty much speaks for itself. It’s a song that we can all relate to if we had a good relationship but now have to try and forget the pain and just think of the happy times.
My personal favorite song from the album is its first single “King of Anything.” She is telling her current boyfriend that he is not the boss of her, and even though he thinks he himself is perfect, she sees all his flaws. The beautiful mellow ballad on the album is “The Light”—in this song, the first plunk of the piano and the violin fills the room with a beaming ray of a melody that melts away the ice of sadness in her life. In “Breathe Again” Sara describes her leaving, and feeling that she will never breathe the air of love again. The lyrics are haunting and the mood melancholy, but in the back of my mind, I know she will breathe again.
This album is truly a magnum opus for Sara. She is able to open her heart and welcome us into her life. Each time I listen, I am waiting for her voice to fall over me and fill my lungs with hope. I hope you feel that way too.
You can follow Sara on twitter @SaraBareilles
Jacob, I heard “Love Song” when it came out that year, but it wasn’t enough for this classic rock guy to get interested. However, a year later I happened to catch a performance of her concert DVD on cable and was immediately hooked. This young lady has a lot of skill. She seems to have the total package right now: great vocals, great musician, quality writing and a fantastic stage presence.
It took a couple of listens, but I now love the record as you do. I’m an old rock and roller who looks for new music every year, and I’m so glad I found Miss B.
Thanks for the review.