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That's not even meant to sound unkind, although clearly it will. Despite being incredibly Radio 2, and therefore OMG SO BORIN' I HATE HER, Sara's deep voice and tumbledown R&B phrasing is refreshing to hear in a chart-bound pop song, especially one which boasts a muscular, but still fairly minimal arrangement.

She must be thanking her lucky stars that Eg White - the producer who overcooked Adele's album to make it sound James Morrison-y, and then made James Morrison's second album sound like Adele's - hasn't been allowed anywhere near her music. If he had been, we'd all be knee-deep in orchestral syrup and dredging down through the sheen to get to the heart of the song.

Of course, it would help if the song had a smidge more personality. I mean at least Adele actually has The Songs, y'know? The problem with this is that the main refrain, the hook which is supposed to lodge in your brain and make you hum it internally until you just HAVE to go out and invest in her album, is nicked from 'All You Need Is Love' by the Beatles. It's not an inappropriate theft, in that it does stretch the song out and give it room to breathe after those pernickity verses, like a cat after a nap. But it doesn't help the song gain any purchase on your attention.

And that's basically the only problem with Sara Bareilles's need to be decent and respectful, it won't get her the kind of attention ladled out to Katy and Kate, because she's just too reasonable to demand it.

Oh wait, that doesn't make society at large sound very good, does it?

Download: Out now
CD Released: September 29th

(Fraser McAlpine)

PS: The CD sleeve contains the following credit:

"Piano - Sara Bareilles and Jamie Muhoberac"

You would think a modern recording budget would be able to afford one each, wouldn't you?