Album review: Seastories by Minnie Driver

I have to admit that when I first heard that Minnie Driver was releasing her second album Seastories, I was slightly surprised but largely unconcerned. I was surprised because I didn't even know that she could sing let alone that she had released a first album! I was unconcerned because been someone that prided herself for only listening to true' artists, I didn't think that Ms Driver could even come close to been a true' artist in my book. By the way, when I say true' artists I simply mean that those artists whose works remind me why I am not a musician and they are! Such artists have a certain 'X' factor, which is difficult to explain but nonetheless evident in their work. I had therefore become increasingly dismissive of the seemingly never-ending mirage of, at the very best, mediocre artists constantly forced on to the unsuspecting public. I had especially become completely disinterested in those who land record deals merely because they had achieved some level of fame elsewhere. Of course this category includes the entire actor turned singers types, which Ms Driver belongs to or so I thought!

I had been watching GMTV one morning when Ms Driver was introduced. She had given a brief interview before she had taken the microphone and begun singing. The song she picked entitled Beloved' really surprised me. It was actually not that bad! In fact, dare I say it the song was good! Beloved' is a simple sing along type song with a gentle melody that fit so well with the lyrics. It has a Beatles inspired vibe to it with its unimposing lyrics and gentle guitar sounds. Admittedly this song doesn't have the X' factor to make it a classic the way that the McCartney/Lennon songs had but it's a satisfactory effort. It's a sort of song that you could sing along to or relax to or even just let it gently play in the background as you get on with your daily chores.

I was so pleasantly surprised by Beloved' that I searched to hear other songs on this album. I listened to snippet of other songs on Ms Driver's official website before deciding to buy the album. I wasn't surprised after listening to the album that Beloved' was selected to promote the album although it is the third song on the album. The first song is Stars & Satellites' is okay song but doesn't stand out as much as Beloved'. Seastories contains three songs that really stand out. Apart from Beloved' the songs Mockingbird' and Cold and dark river' separates Ms

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