Colbie Caillat, the 22-year-old singer songwriter, debuted her album, Coco, on July 17th and hit Number 1 on iTunes hours later. Miss Caillat is among the artists who took their careers into their own hands by marketing herself and her music with celebrated success using the powerful networking tool, myspace. To date, she claims more than 150,000 friends and her profile has been visited almost five million times.

The young Caillat most certainly has business smarts and self-confidence. And after getting a taste of "Bubbly," it's clear she has talent as well, and her swift success is well deserved.

The songs on this California girl's Coco aren't complicated, deep, or reflective, and that's just fine. Colbie does something more important; she uses her vocal talents and relaxed style to make the listener smile, sing along, and feel at ease. Coco and Colbie are both quite refreshing.

The first single, "Bubbly" is catchy, cute, contagious, and climbing the charts. Her voice is uplifting and soothing. "Bubbly" is one of those songs you'll listen to repeatedly, so you can learn the lyrics, even the taratara's and hmmm's. She begins the song by asking the question, "Will you count me in?" Yes, Colbie, definitely! You hooked us with this one.

"Oxygen" is a strong opener to Coco. The first 30 seconds could easily be mistaken for early Fleetwood Mac. It's an uplifting love song, which showcases Jason Reeves' guitar. "Little Things" is also a winner. It's got a catchy chorus which plays on the word up: back up...don't mess upwake upgive up. Caillat's vocals are strong on this tune. "Tied Down" has an island feel, complete with a ukulele and steel drums. "Battle," with its piano, strings, and layered vocals, makes it the most serious song of the album. Every song on Coco is worth a listen, and the album gets better with each play.

Caillat shares songwriting duties with Jason Reeves and Mikal Blue, with the exception of the lullaby-sounding closing song, "Capri," of which she is the sole composer and plays acoustic guitar on. Reeves and Blue play guitar and bass, respectively, on most of the album.

Coco is a strong album and an admirable debut for Caillat. She has soothing vocals, which exude happiness and optimism. It's definitely a strong and notable set coming from a talented young woman who will make you feel good. For more information on Colbie Caillat and to watch the "Bubbly" video, visit her website at www.ColbieCaillatMusic.com.

Learn more about this author, Adela M. Brito.
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