Over the course of her first two albums, Colbie Caillat established herself as the Southern California ideal personified: sunny, light, relatively uncomplicated, casual and undemanding. Songs like “Bubbly,” “Fallin” For You,” and “I”m Yours,” her Grammy-winning duet with Jason Mraz floated away on their own pleasant airiness.
On “All of You,” her third album, out July 12, Caillat retains her pleasing guile, but she”s thrown in a small dose of reality. A naivete has been replaced with a cautious, but still dominant, optimism.
The set draws mainly from her feelings as she moves through her relationship with her bandmate Justin Young, whether its the first sweet blush of love on the ’70s-tinged, guitar driven, “What If,” in which she admits, “Boy, you make my heart stop,” to the mid-tempo title track, which calls for her beau to understand she is offering unconditional love, or “Before I Let You Go,” which covers those first moments of doubt creep in after an ex pops back into the picture.
[More after the jump…]
Just as there”s a place for Bruno Mars” sweet, open pop or Jason Mraz”s lightly reggae-influenced folk, there should be room for Caillat”s uncynical, uplifting songs at radio. However, first single, “I Do,” stalled out. Current single, “Brighter Than The Sun,” which is getting a push as a theme for OWN”s summer programming, is on the Billboard”s adult pop chart and will hopefully find a bigger audience. The peppy, aspirational “Dream Life” is a movie licensing opportunity waiting to happen.
While Caillat sends no major shock waves to her fans here, she shakes things up a little with “Favorite Song,” co-written and performed with Common and Ryan Tedder. Common”s gruff rap proves the perfect foil to Caillat”s smooth, Sheryl Crow-redolent vocals.
Mainly, however, fans will get to follow reluctant pop star Caillat move into her late-20s with shaky confidence on a journey that anyone can relate to.