Eye to the Telescope - KT Tunstall

Scottish lass sets friendly tone with pop rock.

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Common Sense rates it
4
Heard the music? Review it
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Music details
  • Artist(s): KT Tunstall
  • Genre: Pop
  • Label: Virgin Records
  • Parental Advisory: No
  • Edited Version: No
  • Release Date: 02/07/2006

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that if they're trying to read the song lyrics in the liner notes before playing the CD in front of the kids, there's a photograph obscuring several lines of the first four songs. But, there's no offensive language or inappropriate subject matter in any of KT's songs -- so there shouldn't be a problem sharing the tunes with the kids.

Families can talk about using creative language to tell stories through song. What does Tunstall mean when she says things like "she's an iceberg waiting to change"? And do you think that she's really talking to a big, black horse under a cherry tree? Or is she speaking metaphorically? There's a lot of symbolism and vivid imagery that would be great to generate conversation with older kids -- and perhaps inspire them to take pen to paper.

Message

Social Behavior:

Empowers and encourages a young woman to heal her own heart in "Heal Over" ("That sometimes life is hard / it's gonna take time / but you'll just have to wait / you're gonna be fine").

Consumerism:

Promotional piece for an organization called "Project Sunshine" supported by Origins and Tunstall is tucked into the liner notes.

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Violence

Sex

Language

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Cristen Pennington

In KT Tunstall's debut album, EYE TO THE TELESCOPE, the Scottish singer-songwriter captures fragments of human emotion and moments in time and sets them to music. The opening track, "Other Side of the World," tells of a relationship that has lost its fire. Though the subject is something just about anyone can relate to, Tunstall tells the story with lyrics like, "On comes the panic light / holding on with fingers and feelings alike / but the time has come / to move along." The final song, "Through the Dark," speaks to the struggle one faces when the safety of the familiar is replaced by a new path. Tunstall sings, "Oh, what is in store for me now / it's coming apart / for this is all new / and I'm feeling my way through the dark." By the end of the song, she recognizes that the fear of the unknown has passed, and she's "falling in love with the dark over here."

Is it any good?

4
The songs on Eye to the Telescope are imaginative and introspective, exploring dreamlike landscapes and using vivid imagery to tell stories that are familiar to everyone. It also helps that Tunstall has a warm and welcoming voice. With all of the symbolism and vivid imagery on this CD, it seems a great way to generate conversation with older kids.

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Parents and kids say

All Reviews

There are 1 reviews.

5


Posted on 11/23/07 by bonesxprt13 Kid contributor, age 13

I love this girl!

This woman uses no synthesizers or anything. The content is good, but "hell" is used in one song. This is a great album

Adult Reviews

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There are no adult reviews.

Kids Reviews

There are 1 reviews.

5


Posted on 11/23/07 by bonesxprt13 Kid contributor, age 13

I love this girl!

This woman uses no synthesizers or anything. The content is good, but "hell" is used in one song. This is a great album

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