Michelle Branch – “Sooner or Later”
Michelle Branch’s first country single as a solo artist—after splitting with former BFF and The Wreckers cohort Jessica Harp—finds her doing her best impression of Michelle Branch.
There is little doubt in the mind of this observer that Branch’s conversion to country music is a commercially driven and carefully calculated occurrence, and “Sooner or Later” serves as a prime example of why that shift in direction was both a smart move and a necessary action.
Save for the overlay of some steel guitar and a few other trivial aesthetic tidbits, “Sooner or Later” could have appeared—in content, tone and sound—on any of Michelle Branch’s previous efforts, even dating back to 2001’s The Spirit Room (which spawned the ubiquitous “Everywhere”).
In a practical sense, the fact that we can trace the lineage of Branch’s journey from then to country isn’t at all surprising. After all, “Everything” was co-written and produced by none other than one John Shanks, the musical mastermind who has contributed to the success of Keith Urban, among other country stalwarts.
So the formula that produces Michelle Branch’s music has remained steady, while the terrain beneath her—both in the country music world and in the pop world—has shifted. As pop as “Sooner or Later” may be, there is no place for this type of acoustic-driven chick singer/songwriter on pop radio. That format has changed, and the bulk of its hits now incorporate elements of dance, electronic and/or hip hop into essentially every pop deviation. From Katy Perry to Pink to Lady Gaga–the females currently burning up the pop charts–the mainstream has changed considerably since 2001, leaving artists like Michelle Branch out in the cold.
Even the rhythmic foundation of Taylor Swift’s crossover mixes sound far different than this, utilizing more of a pulsing, pounding backdrop.
Branch’s music is loosely derived from the sound of 90s artists like Sheryl Crow. And there were significant country influences and leanings within much of that music, so in some ways this seems more like a reclassification than a significant musical reclamation.
And musically, it works. “Sooner or Later” is far from insipid, and she sings it with a sassy, subtle modern twang. She stands out as a female vocalist in this format, a unique, powerful voice that really knows how to sell a song. That’s something the format is lacking, and that’s why I believe this release will be a successful one.
In the end, however, it does little for Branch’s longevity. As opportunistic and well-timed as her conversion may be, it shields the fact that the reason she no longer has a place in the pop world is because she has never been able to—or has never chosen to—deviate from the sound with which she emerged. “Sooner or Later” demonstrates no musical progression over the music she released in 2001. And considering it’s been six years since her last solo effort, that is disturbing. While she may be able to strike as a hot iron in a format clamoring for anything interesting, if she’s unable to offer anything new to listeners in the future she will lose this audience’s attention just as she lost the last.
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- Stormy: Jon: The problem is that the progressive country music is now being called Americana. And why is it ...
- Razor X: Maybe his brother did talk him into it but what’s to say he hasn’t ‘always loved’ and ‘wanted’ to ...
- Brian: Josh Kelley will be fine. At the very least it means Katherine Heigl may show up on country award shows regularly. ...
- Razor X: Change may be inevitable but we aren't required to support it and if enough people boycott it, it doesn't last ...
- Jon: "You can’t stop “progress”… We can if we try hard enough. Um, no. Not that I think "progress" is a good ...
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26 Comments
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July 29, 2009 at 1:27 pm Permalink
It’s better than Harp’s debut solo single, at least.
July 29, 2009 at 1:29 pm Permalink
Jim, please tell us that “the ubiquitous ‘Everywhere’” was on purpose.
July 29, 2009 at 1:51 pm Permalink
Everything I do is on purpose.
July 29, 2009 at 2:15 pm Permalink
I actually think Harp’s single has more personality than this one by Branch.
July 29, 2009 at 2:42 pm Permalink
As a pop song, I like it. As a country song, I don’t like the fact that they took a pop song and added Banjo Pluck #5 and Steel Guitar Riffs #2 and #16 to it. It’s not a bad song, but it seems like it belongs more on a soundtrack to a Katherine Heigl movie than on country radio.
July 29, 2009 at 2:53 pm Permalink
As I read this, the record’s a good one – “far from insipid” and well-sung; “musically it works” – so it gets a “thumbs down” mostly, if not solely, because it’s not different enough from her earlier work. If I have that right, Jim, then I hope you never review a Ralph Stanley record ;-).
July 29, 2009 at 4:35 pm Permalink
Can we trade her in for Vanessa Carlton?
July 29, 2009 at 5:35 pm Permalink
One of my pet grand theories: “Everywhere” is about God.
July 29, 2009 at 5:46 pm Permalink
Stormy asked: “Can we trade her in for Vanessa Carlton?”
Let’s start a “Who in the pop realm would you like to trade Michelle Branch for?” inquiry.
I’d go for either Colbie Caillat or Ingrid Michaelson because I think Colbie is cuter and Ingid has a more interesting sense of humor! I know its shallow, but we’re talking pop music artists here…
July 29, 2009 at 6:09 pm Permalink
Stormy, I want Vanessa, but I also want Rick’s Colbie…They’re some of my favourite pop singers.
This song is okay, but it makes me miss The Wreckers.
July 29, 2009 at 7:50 pm Permalink
It’s not great or groundbreaking but I’ll take it over Taylor or Jewel any day.
July 30, 2009 at 12:20 am Permalink
This song is great… I have to listen to it again, but the first couples time I heard it, the song kind of chilled me… it was kind of eerie and I really liked it. I’m glad she’s sticking to the country route. I like Jessica Harp better, but I’m still quite interested in Michelle’s debut country solo record.
It was always hard to imagine her as a former pop artist when she was in The Wreckers… her voice is just too twangy
July 30, 2009 at 1:08 am Permalink
EDIT: “the first couples time I heard it, the song kind of chilled me… it was kind of eerie and I really liked it.”
Oops, I was thinking of the short mv clip of another song from her upcoming album… but this song is still good, just not eerie and chilling like the other one I had in mind
July 30, 2009 at 2:13 am Permalink
If anyone wants to see what Michelle is really capable of, go to MichelleBranch.com and watch the music video for “This Way”… its a thousand times better, its amazing
July 30, 2009 at 8:37 am Permalink
While I also agree it’s not her best single, it’s defiantly more interesting than some of the other pop artists to cross-over(Jewel, etc). Judging by her two previous albums, I would say that she probably has more to offer than we are giving her credit for.
July 30, 2009 at 8:58 am Permalink
I could never stand Carlton’s voice.
July 30, 2009 at 11:09 am Permalink
What happened between Jessica and Michelle? Is there a story there or was The Wreckers always intended to be a one record project?
It’s kind of sad that Michelle gets so much immediate attention when there are way cooler country females hitting right now. I’ll take Sarah Darling’s song “Jack Of Hearts” over Michelle’s new one any day.
July 30, 2009 at 4:15 pm Permalink
SMB, as far as i know there’s no real story. michelle said somewhere that she wrote a song alone on a tour while she was still on the wreckers and realized that she wants to write her own songs and sing them alone. not sure what happened next…
July 30, 2009 at 8:30 pm Permalink
@SMB: The Wreckers broke up because there was supposedly a negative backlash. I remember they shut down their message board for quite some time after fans expressed their disappointment. It must’ve gotten pretty ugly, but I don’t know all the details.
Idk why… I thought their debut album was great.
July 31, 2009 at 9:11 pm Permalink
ok i finally listened to the song. i was kind of waiting for it, but after i heard it i’m sort of disappointed. The main problem is the song being far too commercial. just like jim said, it’s essentially a pop song with a few country touches. however, i got to listen another song on michelle’s site, now that one is pretty solid.
anyways, jim mentioned a very important point: pop female singers converting into country: jewel, jessica simpson, michelle branch,… i actually think this a good thing. Although most don’t really sing good quality country but they do bring their own fans, and i think it’s always good to have new fans in country. those fans will get introduced to the other good quality songs… i dont know just an opinion.
August 1, 2009 at 9:07 pm Permalink
The song certainly didn’t deserve a “thumbs down” for the reason given, and I don’t want her to change much anyway. She has a signature sound that I love. Great song!!
August 2, 2009 at 12:36 am Permalink
Rick
July 29, 2009 at 5:46 pm Permalink Stormy asked: “Can we trade her in for Vanessa Carlton?”
Let’s start a “Who in the pop realm would you like to trade Michelle Branch for?” inquiry.
I’d go for either Colbie Caillat or Ingrid Michaelson because I think Colbie is cuter and Ingid has a more interesting sense of humor! I know its shallow, but we’re talking pop music artists here…
Actually, if we are going for contemporary rather than washed up pop stars, lets grab Sarah Barrellis. She could re-do Love Song as a brassy, Tanya Tucker-esqe song and layer Gravity with Steel and fiddle.
August 7, 2009 at 9:37 am Permalink
It is my opinion but it is indeed a thumbs up. I guess we’ll see how it played out and performed.
August 21, 2009 at 8:12 am Permalink
CHRIS: I thought it was about God, too. Is it not?
August 21, 2009 at 9:54 am Permalink
Maybe that wasn’t as original an insight as I thought it was.
August 22, 2009 at 3:31 am Permalink
I agree with the reviewer that said this song didn’t deserve a thumbs down just because its a similar to Michelle’s older stuff, which I agree, espeically songs like Breathe. His analysis of this being a “Reclassification” and Michelle not being able to be played anymore on pop or adult contemporary is true. And sad. And one of the main reasons I am a mostly country listener.
I used to be a pop fan in the 1990s when I was in high school. In recent years, perhaps partially due to the cultural impact of illegal immigration and the export of the ghetto into suburban America, mainstream music has developed too much of a hip hop, R&B, electronic and heavy metal feel. This turned me off from that. I actually don’t like old country like Willie NElson or Waylon Jennings too much. Michelle’s stuff and Rascal Flatts (which some ppl compare to the old Backstreet Boys…which also has no niche anymore for their sound) fit my niche perhaps. Though I also love artists like Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Alan Jackson, etc….beyond the mainstream pop sound, I am much more able to branch into country vs. other genres. And I rather take a twang over a hip hop beat any day.
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