Catherine Tuttle kicks off What They Will Find with the bouncy title track, at once establishing herself as a contemporary folk-pop artist in the mode of
Sarah McLachlan with a lively performance style. The arrangement, a combo of electric guitar, keyboards, and even, toward the end, strings, is nicely done. It's an ambitious start, followed by "Free Bird," which rocks a bit harder. The lyric about a caged bird being set free may be a bit typical, but thanks to the bright production and upfront vocal it never sounds like a New England songwriter beating one over the head with an important lyric. The remainder of the album, while solid enough, doesn't quite maintain this level. And while What They Will Find has much to recommend it, it doesn't quite reach the level of the sum of its influences (
McLachlan ,
Tori Amos, and
Jonatha Brooke) at their best. Still, the album's ability to marry singer/songwriter lyrics with a pop sound make the songs very accessible. It doesn't hurt at all that she's an expressive singer who doesn't over-sing. Certain tracks, like "Restless," too closely resemble her influences (McLachlan in this case), so it's a relief when
Tuttle really cuts loose on a cut like "Vintage Heart." Fans of any of the above mentioned artists will enjoy watching an artist in the process of finding her own voice on What They Will Find. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.