With the chart-topping success of her single Stay (I Missed You) in 1994, Lisa Loeb emerged on the popular music scene as the Claire Danes in nerdy glasses look-a-like with the great voice and the flavorful, catchy song. She also became a major candidate to be a dreaded one-hit wonder when a full-length album did not follow until more than a year later.
December 12, 1997
But a lot of work surfaces for aspiring musicians when they finally find themselves with the No. 1 song in the country, and usually comes in the form of a major label signing.
So now that all the hard stuff is finished, Loeb has taken her time with her second album, Firecracker, and the 12 new songs guilelessly overcome any signs of sophomore slump.
Female singers/songwriters seem to be a dime a dozen these days, and sometimes all it takes for them to differentiate themselves is quality material. The opening cut and first single I Do already proves Loeb still has no problem penning radio-friendly tunes.
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But what sets Loeb apart from many singer/songwriters, male or female, is her beaming and cheerful resemblance yet serious and brooding song subject matter. She seems to be at her best when singing about shattered relationships found on the chorus of Falling in Love.
If Loeb’s brooding subject matter is her strong point, catchy choruses and sincere lyrics are her forte. Dance With the Angels and Split Second demonstrate the former, while the whole album proves the latter.
This Dallas native confirms slant rhyme and saying what you want instead of rhyming for rhyming’s sake is more effective in any circumstance.
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