By AARON KREIN
Arts Editor
This year is shaping to be one for musician comebacks. Artists such as Nelly Furtado, Shania Twain, and Jessica Simpson are slated to release albums this year after a long hiatus. Among this group, there is an artist who has tried to get her music off the ground for a while. Michelle Branch, a throwback early 2000’s pop/rock songstress will be releasing her long awaited third studio album after 14 years.
Branch burst onto the scene with her debut album, “The Spirit Room,” released by Madonna’s Maverick Records in 2001.The album spawned hits such as “Everywhere,” “All You Wanted,” and “Goodbye to You.” The latter was a staple for teen dramas at the time such as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Charmed” for emotional scenes. During this time, she also collaborated with Santana on “The Game of Love,” which earned both of them a Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals the following year.
In 2003, her follow-up album, “Hotel Paper,” was released with adult contemporary hits like “Are You Happy Now?” and “Breathe.” A year later, she married her bass player Teddy Landau and gave birth to a girl named Owen fifteen months after. In 2005, she strayed away from pop to form a country duo with friend Jessica Harp under the name, The Wreckers. Their top hit, “Leave the Pieces,” reached number one on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and was nominated for a Grammy.
After disbanding in 2007, Branch announced she was heading back in the studio to work on another solo album. Two years later, she announced her new country pop album would be called “Everything Comes and Goes,” but it was later released as a 6-song EP under Reprise Records. In 2011, she released her first pop/rock single in nearly a decade with “Loud Music.” The release came with the announcement that a new album, “West Coast Time,” would be released. However, after several push backs, it was announced in 2013 that the project was abandoned and Branch left the label. She signed with Verve Records two years later and started working with The Black Keys’ drummer, Patrick Carney. The two began dating soon after her divorce from Landau was finalized.
Last December, Entertainment Weekly announced exclusively that Branch would finally be releasing her comeback album, entitled “Hopeless Romantic,” on April 7. Two weeks ago, Billboard premiered the title track, which will serve as the lead single, through Vevo. The song is focused on someone who easily falls in love for someone she knows is no good for her. In a sense, the track is very similar lyrically to Britney Spears’ 2011 single, “Criminal,” but with less tempo and more dramaticism. If you’re expecting a pop/rock song with catchy lyrics and guitar, you’ll be sadly disappointed. Being that it’s been over a decade, no one should be surprised when an artist evolves. The single has elements of modern yet moody blues that give a haunting and euphoric tone. Though it’s a bit hard to take at first listen, it’s definitely a grower and the music video that was released last Thursday is a testimony to that.
The video, directed by Brian Higbee, finds Branch driving under the night sky while it’s raining and focuses on the anxiety the new love has brought on her. Later on, the cinematography turns red while Brand strums her guitar in what seems to be an abandoned warehouse. There is even a scene where she’s standing in the rain that could easily be a call back to her video for “All You Wanted.” It’s very simplistic like most of her videos and that’s all it needed to be. The only thing missing was a backing band but with a song as laid back as this, it’s understandable why that doesn’t appear.
With close to a month till the release of “Hopeless Romantic,” I’m excited to see what she brings to the table with a full set. Branch has been an artist close and dear to me since my childhood and I’ve watched her career ever since. As someone who has watched push back after push back, I am more than elated to know that we will finally get the album that fans and Branch herself deserved. Congratulations Michelle, your day has come.
