More Love: Songs from Little Voice Season One

This album is like the kindest version of my soul climbed out of my body and tenderly invited me back in for tea, and led me to courage. Gosh, Sara, thank you. For being an artist. For being true. For inviting us and enlightening us to a long, loving look at the real. It pops, rocks, lulls, sways, marches, harmonizes, and soars through a souls guide to liberation and indeed, more love. This is a timeless compilation of music that will companion me for a long time to come.

I love her voice!! My dad went the same high school as her and they were friends!! (Eureka High School)

Each of Sara’s studio albums has had a different producer and a different feel. Her last album, Amidst The Chaos was richly realized, with a wide variety of orchestrations. By comparison, this album feels smaller and more spare. While I have not read Sara’s comments about this, my sense is that Sara crafted the songs to be performed on the show by “Bess King” and a small ensemble — often just her vocal and “Samuel” on guitar. As a result this album feels like demo recordings, meant to express the core of the songs to the cast. So while some reviewers object to this vibe, it represents yet another exhibit of what make Sara Bareilles such a compelling artist. And in fact, most of the Brittany O’Grady recordings are arranged quite differently than here, with a couple of exceptions that exactly mirror Sara’s originals here. As always, Sara’s songs are haunting; I find them playing in my head constantly. There are no burn-down-the-house anthems like Love Song or Brave, and none as exuberantly joyful as I Choose You or Gonna Get Over You. They are more from Sara’s Joni Mitchell catalog: reflective, piercing, from the heart, often with remarkable insight. Tell Her is one such song, revealing a scorching emotion that anyone who has been involved with an evasive lover will share. Ghost Light, based on the Broadway custom of leaving a light on for the ghosts of legendary performers, comes from a similar place as City from Sara’s breakthrough Little Voice album — the experience of feeling unseen, unvalidated, unloved. Simple and True, another scorcher, stands among Sara’s greatest: a cry of complete loss of someone whom you still are in love with. The Little Voice soundtrack album with Brittany O’Grady provides a fascinating and rewarding companion to this album, with her vastly different tone of voice vs. Sara — more smoky and velvety, yet not as bravura — while still capturing the emotions with tear-inducing vulnerability. It also helps to watch the ten episodes of Season 1, to understand the context of some of the more specific songs (King of the Lost Boys, In July). I give this album four out of five stars because of the “demo” feeling, and wonder what else Sara would have brought to the songs with say a T-Bone Burnett as producer. But taken together with the soundtrack album I give it five stars, and find this another worthy masterwork by the woman who always puts in the effort to deliver something that touches your heart.

As always - musical masterpiece by Sara B

Generally a pretty album...Sara is just such an emotional singer...The studio can mute that a bit ...But some interesting production choices here

Have been a fan of her since day one & I simply can't wait to listen to this album in it's entirety. Sara is one of the best!!

Love her voice but the songs seem adrift and wandering.

I will tell you who made you king (queen) of anything! Thank you Sara! Just some beautiful sounds for such an ugly time.

Sara Bareilles just keeps getting better as a singer songwriter. Her poignant lyrics and soulful melodies never disappoint. A really feel good album for a challenging time.

I am a huge Sara fan and have been eagerly anticipating another album. This album was well worth the wait. Sara has the most beautiful voice and every song on this album is so heart felt and beautifully done. I can’t even choose a favorite song. They are all so well done!! Possibly my favorite album of all time!!