KT Tunstall: KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

This scottish singer-songwriter broke out early this year with an album of smoky-sweet ballads and bluesy rock songs highlighted by the great single “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree," on which KT Tunstall sounds like Sheryl Crow channeling a demonic, lost bluesman. This acoustic CD/DVD repeats only two cuts from the debut, thankfully, and the mood is a little duller than fans of the debut – and especially “Black Horse" – might hope. Tunstall will always be more of a Fiona Apple than a Jewel, but slow songs like “Throw Me a Rope" show some real folk-pop kicks, keeping ponderousness and preciousness in check. Solid acoustic jams like “Boo Hoo" and “Miniature Disasters" show off a Joplin fetish that could kill on more interesting material. Not bad for a stopgap, and one to grow on.