Review: “Lessons To Be Learned” by Gabriella Cilmi (CD, 2008)

Today’s Pop Rescue from a fate uncertain is 2008’s Lessons To Be Learned by Australian singer and songwriter, Gabriella Cilmi. Will this album be Sweet, or will it be like a double Lesson of P.E. in the rain on a Friday afternoon? Read on…

Gabriella Cilmi - Lessons To Be Learned (2008) album. — Gabriella Cilmi – Lessons To Be Learned (2008) album.

This 13 track CD bursts opens with the album’s second and final single Save The Lies, which is straight in with powerful sharp vocals, not unlike those of Anastasia meets Girls Aloud, which is apt, given that Xenomania are here in the writing credits (Miranda Cooper and Brian Higgins) alongside Saint Etienne. A light snare and hi-hat keeps up the pace allowing this to swiftly be a foot-tapping romp. The vocal harmonies in the chorus are great, and the vocal styling and ease at which Gabriella throws her voice around makes the song playful and catchy. Sadly, the track stalled in the UK at #33.

Next up is lead single Sweet About Me, which introduced us to Gabriella’s raspy vocals in this wonderfully swaggering song. There’s less of the pop sound heard in the previous track – as it’s slower and more acoustically led. Despite this, the track really is a wonderfully warmly sung catchy piece of soft pop. The track welcomed her into the UK charts with a #6 hit.

Sanctuary follows this, and this sets Gabriella against a mellow shuffling beat with pianos and distant strings. At times, her vocal style and pronunciation reminds me of the late Amy Winehouse, and I’m lost in images of her singing this instead. It’s a nice atmospheric song.

Then it’s Einstein, and this slows us down even further, giving us a soft song in which Gabriella’s voice stands out even more as warm, rich, and perfectly controlled. The track wafts gently along, and then fades out without really going anywhere far.

That’s followed by Got No Place To Go, and the tempo is back up again. A nice bass nudges the percussive beats along nicely, giving us a pretty catchy undercurrent. Gabriella gets to show off more playful, rapid-fire, and rich vocals again, include a higher voice in the final push to the end. It’s definitely another foot-tapper, grows steadily, and probably would have worked well as a single.

Then we’re on to Don’t Want To Go To Bed Now, and this ups the tempo again, and allows us to get a glimpse of another almost-Girls Aloud track, chugging along at quite a page with electric guitars and bass. A catchy riff helps to keep the foot tapping as Gabriella gets to show off her big vocals that she plops into your ear with seemingly great ease. Again, this is a should-have-been single.

Messy follows that, starting off like some kind of 1960s guitar led track. Once again, Gabriella gets some playful vocals that she delivers with bags of attitude, playing on her sharp vocals perfectly. However, the track plays on particular vocal sound in the first verse and this gets a little overused and tedious.

That leads on to Awkward Game, and here we find Gabriella pitched against a steel guitar. Here her voice sounds again very much like Amy Winehouse, and she’s pitched here against minimal musical instruments that allow us to hear her well. The chorus has airs of pseudo-Bond Theme at times with its soaring string keyboard section, growling guitars, and drum fills.

Piano leads us into Safer, and Gabriella gets to shine here with softer and gentle vocals, as gentle percussion joins in. The track grows slowly, but there are definitely nods of X-Factor contestant ballad here too.

Then we’re on to Cigarettes And Lies, and we’re back to up-beat and catchy riffs from guitars and percussion. It’s fairly jazzy at times, and this makes for yet another playful and fun song. It lacks the energy of some earlier tracks, but it’s still a nice listen.

Guitars open Terrifying follows this, giving us a little growling song in which Gabriella gets to show off her vocal range and power against the guitars. The backing vocalists work a treat, and there’s a whiff of Yeah Yeah Yeahs in the chaotic nature of her voice for a few moments. It’s a good little pop-rock song.

Sit In The Blues is up next, and it’s a slower track. A brushed snare, a mellow guitar, and Gabriella’s voice delivers her vocals with ease. A soft set of keyboard strings joins in to take the edge of as the track meanders onwards. It’s a nice little track.

The album closes with Echo Beach, a cover of the Martha and The Muffins song from 1980, and it’s recognisable off the bat with the guitar riff. Gabriella puts in a credible turn with the song, and it makes for a fun and energetic closing track to this album. I’m wondering whether she chose it or it was chosen for her, but either way, she does a good cover.

Gabriella’s lead single ‘Sweet About Me’ (2008).

Verdict

Over all, this album is almost a pastiche to Girls Aloud and Amy Winehouse, with just enough fun and warmth to keep you listening.

Having only heard Sweet About Me before listening to this album, I was unsure what to expect.. and that was the right approach. Gabriella Cilmi’s vocals are powerful, rich, and sharp, and she plays this perfectly in all of the songs here with the resulting sound being somewhere between Girls Aloud in the more upbeat songs, and Amy Winehouse in the slower or vintage-sounding ones.

Highlights here are certainly Sweet About Me, but also Save The Lies, and Don’t Want To Go To Bed Now. These are all nice full-rounded sort of rock-pop songs to which Gabriella’s voice works a treat. The lowest points are when the song sounds a little bit too generic – I heard this in Awkward Game, Einstein, and Sit In The Blues the most.

Still, this is a nice album, and if by chance you do enjoy Gabriella, Girls Aloud (the Xenomania fingerprints are throughout the whole album), and Amy Winehouse, then you’re in for a treat.