With a voice that sounds like a more mainstream version of the late jazz cult superstar Eva Cassidy and smoky raven-haired looks to rival a movie lot’s worth of young ingénues, it’s a bit of a surprise that Katie Melua has remained so unknown in the United States, despite the chart success the Eastern European-born songstress has achieved in her adopted home of the United Kingdom. It seems like she should be at least as popular as, say, Regina Spektor or Nellie McKay. Pictures may not help that much, however, because in comparison to its fairly straightforward jazz-tinged singer/songwriter predecessors, Melua’s third album takes a bit of a left turn into the self-consciously quirky. It’s a wonder that it took so long, because Melua’s producer and part-time songwriter is Mike Batt, a minor legend of the U.K. music scene who has fashioned a decades-long career out of deliberate eccentricity. Much of Pictures sounds like Batt is reverting to his ’70s children’s music productions for the Wombles, especially “Mary Pickford (Used to Eat Roses),” a horrifyingly cutesy song about the early days of Hollywood royalty; “Scary Films,” a thinly disguised cop of early Kate Bush tracks like “Hammer Horror” and “Wow,” and the fake reggae “Ghost Town,” which sounds like Batt experimenting with getting as close to ripping off the Specials’ classic of the same name without veering into actual plagiarism. The closer Melua comes to restrained adult pop, like the unexpectedly touching Batt-penned torch ballad “What It Says on the Tin,” and the gently swaying, Everything But the Girl-like bossa nova bounce of “Perfect Circle,” the better the album is. The songs written by Melua by herself and/or with lyricist Molly McQueen are uniformly stronger than Batt’s contributions, particularly the intimate, smoky “Spellbound,” suggesting that leaving her mentor would do Katie Melua a world of good.
Tracklist:
01. Mary Pickford
02. It’s All In My Head
03. If The Lights Go Out
04. What I Miss About You
05. Spellbound
06. What It Says On The Tin
07. Scary Films
08. Perfect Circle
09. Ghost Town
10. If You Were A Sailboat
11. Dirty Dice
12. In My Secret Life
13. When You Taught Me How To Dance (Bonus track)
14. The Closest Thing To Crazy (Acoustic) (Bonus track)
Total time: 52:19
EAC extraction logfile from 17. October 2009, 22:16
Katie Melua / Pictures
Used drive : TSSTcorpCDDVDW SH-S202N Adapter: 0 ID: 0
Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No
Read offset correction : 6
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000
Gap handling : Appended to previous track
Used output format : User Defined Encoder
Selected bitrate : 128 kBit/s
Quality : High
Add ID3 tag : No
Command line compressor : C:Program Files (x86)Exact Audio Copyflac.exe
Additional command line options : -8 -V -T “ARTIST=%a” -T “TITLE=%t” -T “ALBUM=%g” -T “DATE=%y” -T “TRACKNUMBER=%n” -T “GENRE=%m” -T “COMMENT=EAC FLAC -8” %s
TOC of the extracted CD
Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-
1 | 0:00.00 | 3:12.30 | 0 | 14429
2 | 3:12.30 | 4:03.45 | 14430 | 32699
3 | 7:16.00 | 3:14.54 | 32700 | 47303
4 | 10:30.54 | 3:48.34 | 47304 | 64437
5 | 14:19.13 | 3:00.43 | 64438 | 77980
6 | 17:19.56 | 3:44.40 | 77981 | 94820
7 | 21:04.21 | 4:02.62 | 94821 | 113032
8 | 25:07.08 | 4:00.72 | 113033 | 131104
9 | 29:08.05 | 3:31.44 | 131105 | 146973
10 | 32:39.49 | 4:02.47 | 146974 | 165170
11 | 36:42.21 | 3:39.18 | 165171 | 181613
12 | 40:21.39 | 4:21.59 | 181614 | 201247
13 | 44:43.23 | 3:22.46 | 201248 | 216443
14 | 48:05.69 | 4:13.04 | 216444 | 235422
Track 1
Filename X:RipKatie Melua – 2007 – Pictures [FLAC]1 – Mary Pickford.wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:02.00
Peak level 99.2 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 82DFA1D6
Copy CRC 82DFA1D6
Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [64F59D5F], AccurateRip returned [E0E5A132]
Copy OK
Track 2
Filename X:RipKatie Melua – 2007 – Pictures [FLAC]2 – It’s All In My Head.wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:02.11
Peak level 99.1 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 61DCC7BD
Copy CRC 61DCC7BD
Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [8496D950], AccurateRip returned [1F35D7B5]
Copy OK
Track 3
Filename X:RipKatie Melua – 2007 – Pictures [FLAC]3 – If The Lights Go Out.wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:01.01
Peak level 99.4 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC BC42AC30
Copy CRC BC42AC30
Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [D399EED5], AccurateRip returned [8D061CD5]
Copy OK
Track 4
Filename X:RipKatie Melua – 2007 – Pictures [FLAC]4 – What I Miss About You.wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:01.40
Peak level 99.3 %
Track quality 99.9 %
Test CRC 5704E322
Copy CRC 5704E322
Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [73FA301D], AccurateRip returned [AF02E2F5]
Copy OK
Track 5
Filename X:RipKatie Melua – 2007 – Pictures [FLAC]5 – Spellbound.wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:00.20
Peak level 100.0 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC EF35C880
Copy CRC EF35C880
Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [EB03D0CD], AccurateRip returned [DD9EAA6D]
Copy OK
Track 6
Filename X:RipKatie Melua – 2007 – Pictures [FLAC]6 – What It Says On The Tin.wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:00.07
Peak level 99.1 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 985CA3B7
Copy CRC 985CA3B7
Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [2E021364], AccurateRip returned [79B5A9C3]
Copy OK
Track 7
Filename X:RipKatie Melua – 2007 – Pictures [FLAC]7 – Scary Films.wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:00.54
Peak level 99.8 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 2CF83877
Copy CRC 2CF83877
Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [6E2870B4], AccurateRip returned [A7DD57F6]
Copy OK
Track 8
Filename X:RipKatie Melua – 2007 – Pictures [FLAC]8 – Perfect Circle.wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:00.43
Peak level 100.0 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 002DBE74
Copy CRC 002DBE74
Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [8F3224F2], AccurateRip returned [E553FFE9]
Copy OK
Track 9
Filename X:RipKatie Melua – 2007 – Pictures [FLAC]9 – Ghost Town.wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:00.29
Peak level 99.2 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC F618D889
Copy CRC F618D889
Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [B2EFDEF4], AccurateRip returned [A80CE81F]
Copy OK
Track 10
Filename X:RipKatie Melua – 2007 – Pictures [FLAC]10 – If You Were A Sailboat.wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:01.00
Peak level 99.2 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 0B73FF49
Copy CRC 0B73FF49
Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [260A596C], AccurateRip returned [E0CF7D69]
Copy OK
Track 11
Filename X:RipKatie Melua – 2007 – Pictures [FLAC]11 – Dirty Dice.wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:03.09
Peak level 100.0 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 540413B4
Copy CRC 540413B4
Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [D0269797], AccurateRip returned [C1F5121F]
Copy OK
Track 12
Filename X:RipKatie Melua – 2007 – Pictures [FLAC]12 – In My Secret Life.wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:00.38
Peak level 99.9 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC 8F8F4E7E
Copy CRC 8F8F4E7E
Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [59B8682E], AccurateRip returned [8224C7F8]
Copy OK
Track 13
Filename X:RipKatie Melua – 2007 – Pictures [FLAC]13 – When You Taught Me How To Dance.wav
Peak level 98.8 %
Track quality 100.0 %
Test CRC BFD40A9E
Copy CRC BFD40A9E
Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [7F1F32F1], AccurateRip returned [7CD6315F]
Copy OK
Track 14
Filename X:RipKatie Melua – 2007 – Pictures [FLAC]14 – The Closest Thing To Crazy (Acoustic).wav
Pre-gap length 0:00:00.21
Peak level 98.8 %
Track quality 99.9 %
Test CRC BC090DFE
Copy CRC BC090DFE
Cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [971F95C4], AccurateRip returned [25AA8174]
Copy OK
No tracks could be verified as accurate
You may have a different pressing from the one(s) in the database
No errors occurred
End of status report
[CTDB TOCID: 4vpmLpjAmi4i9qAP5Lr3VvC7xNI-] found.
Track | CTDB Status
1 | (30/30) Accurately ripped
2 | (30/30) Accurately ripped
3 | (30/30) Accurately ripped
4 | (30/30) Accurately ripped
5 | (30/30) Accurately ripped
6 | (30/30) Accurately ripped
7 | (30/30) Accurately ripped
8 | (30/30) Accurately ripped
9 | (30/30) Accurately ripped
10 | (30/30) Accurately ripped
11 | (30/30) Accurately ripped
12 | (30/30) Accurately ripped
13 | (30/30) Accurately ripped
14 | (30/30) Accurately ripped
[AccurateRip ID: 001a493e-011a41bf-bc0c420e] found.
Track [ CRC | V2 ] Status
01 [64f59d5f|0e11c463] (02+14/22) Accurately ripped
02 [8496d950|bc10563d] (02+14/22) Accurately ripped
03 [d399eed5|a83ee92e] (02+14/22) Accurately ripped
04 [73fa301d|41367370] (02+14/22) Accurately ripped
05 [eb03d0cd|031f4946] (02+13/21) Accurately ripped
06 [2e021364|a80bc2c9] (02+14/22) Accurately ripped
07 [6e2870b4|4c777a82] (02+14/22) Accurately ripped
08 [8f3224f2|8299bd96] (02+14/22) Accurately ripped
09 [b2efdef4|c4e29f1b] (02+14/22) Accurately ripped
10 [260a596c|8e6c4152] (02+13/21) Accurately ripped
11 [d0269797|19504e97] (02+14/22) Accurately ripped
12 [59b8682e|8010c1df] (02+13/21) Accurately ripped
13 [7f1f32f1|63d90eb4] (02+14/22) Accurately ripped
14 [971f95c4|dd958e10] (02+15/23) Accurately ripped
Offsetted by -664:
01 [e0e5a132] (04/22) Accurately ripped
02 [1f35d7b5] (04/22) Accurately ripped
03 [8d061cd5] (04/22) Accurately ripped
04 [af02e2f5] (04/22) Accurately ripped
05 [dd9eaa6d] (04/21) Accurately ripped
06 [79b5a9c3] (04/22) Accurately ripped
07 [a7dd57f6] (04/22) Accurately ripped
08 [e553ffe9] (04/22) Accurately ripped
09 [a80ce81f] (04/22) Accurately ripped
10 [e0cf7d69] (04/21) Accurately ripped
11 [c1f5121f] (04/22) Accurately ripped
12 [8224c7f8] (04/21) Accurately ripped
13 [7cd6315f] (04/22) Accurately ripped
14 [25aa8174] (04/23) Accurately ripped
Track Peak [ CRC32 ] [W/O NULL] [ LOG ]
– 100,0 [9A9542D0] [019A44E7]
01 99,2 [82DFA1D6] [A1C0E826] CRC32
02 99,1 [61DCC7BD] [B08816EA] CRC32
03 99,4 [BC42AC30] [F78D993F] CRC32
04 99,3 [5704E322] [777D8F28] CRC32
05 100,0 [EF35C880] [21511EC5] CRC32
06 99,1 [985CA3B7] [C9301315] CRC32
07 99,8 [2CF83877] [6EBDF0FC] CRC32
08 100,0 [002DBE74] [1DBB2C66] CRC32
09 99,2 [F618D889] [EC5D09CB] CRC32
10 99,2 [0B73FF49] [364C3D5B] CRC32
11 100,0 [540413B4] [084016CA] CRC32
12 99,9 [8F8F4E7E] [B422E517] CRC32
13 98,8 [BFD40A9E] [6A5AE135] CRC32
14 98,8 [BC090DFE] [5A480274] CRC32
Thanks to the original releaser
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