Review of Tiger Suit by K.T. Tunstall

I was lucky enough to get a copy of KT Tunstall's latest CD, Tiger Suit (released Oct 6th) so I could review it on the blog.  I don't consider myself a die-hard Tunstall fan.  In fact, I've mostly heard her name bandied about (in conversations or articles about 'serious' and 'talented' artists) and I've heard "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" more times than I wanted to on American Idol.  So I bring a particular perspective to this review that may have limited representation: that of the newbie KT Tunstall fan. Yes, Tiger Suit has converted me--I realized this when I woke up yesterday humming "(Still a) Weirdo".  For me, Tunstall's songwriting is often eclectic and at times opaque in meaning.  The real strength in the songs on Tiger Suit is in her song arrangement and performance.  Some of the songs are pulsing with raw emotion ("Difficulty", "Push that Knot Away").  Others, like current release "Fade Like a Shadow", "Uummannaq Song" and "Glamour Puss" are optimistically cynical as they juxtapose brutally honest lyrics with playful musical arrangements. And they're so fun to sing along to!

My favorite songs in the collection are "Uummannaq Song" and "(Still a) Weirdo" (that's right--I'm feelin' the weirdo vibe--like you didn't know) for that Tunstall mix of light and dark.  I also enjoyed the rest of the CD with the only exception being "Madame Trudeaux" (KT, you need to explain that one to me).  This album has me seriously thinking about going back to her other CDs to see what gold is to be had there as well.

For more info about Tiger Suit, Tunstall or upcoming tour dates, go here.  Check out KT Tunstall's official Youtube channel here. And you can check out recent reviews of Tiger Suit and buy all or some of the tracks here.

I did not receive any compensation for my review of Tiger Suit although I was given the CD to facilitate this review and I am entered to win a gift card through One2One Network.  Any and all opinions here are my own.