Lessons To Be Learned - Music (Gabriella Cilmi)

It's hard to imagine someone even younger than 19-year-old Laura Marling making a splash on the music scene, but 16-year-old Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi is doing a pretty good job. Having smashed apart stereotypes of innocence with her killer single "(There's Nothing) Sweet About Me", Cilmi (pronounced "Chill Me") now offers a debut that's not only lyrically and emotionally mature, but boasts the kind of potent musical content guaranteed to propel you towards the dancefloor. Lessons To Be Learned is a diverse bag. Produced by Xenomania (Girls Aloud, Sugababes) it's seemingly influenced by everyone from Stevie Wonder and the Kings of Leon, though it'll inevitably draw the most comparisons to Amy Winehouse, thanks to Cilmi's soaring vocals, the record's modern-Motown feel and Xenomania's bright, punchy production. Opener "Save The Lies", though, is nothing like Winehouse--a big, in-your-face disco-stomper with a massive irrefutable chorus. The record drops from there into sultry soul territory with tracks like "Sanctuary", "Einstein", and "Safer", and more upbeat fare such as the electronic "Don't Wanna Go To Bed Now", rocky tracks like "Messy" and the bluesy "Cigarettes And Lies". These stylistic diversions set Cilmi apart from the rest of the 'new soul' brigade, and help give her a voice of her own.--Danny McKenna

Customer Reviews of Lessons To Be Learned

Chris
Taunton, Somerset, United Kingdom
19th November 2008

Fab, far more than just 1 hit song
We brought this albumn after hearing the Sure advert song, Upside Down, and were very impressed with the whole albumn. The second half of it for me is the best.
Would defintiely recommend this and look forward to future albumns by Gabriella.
If you like Duffy, Katie Melua etc your sure to like this albumn

Corr
London, UK
24th October 2008

Disappointing
I bought this on the sole basis of the single 'Sweet about me'
I liked this song and her voice.... I still like that song and her voice but this album truly disappointed me.

The lyrics; nothing clever here, she rhymes everything, Owe, Show. Thunder, Wonder. Night, Bite. Play, Day. Grumpy, Bumpy. Ding and Swing!! and Maybe Baby!! No!! I know she's young but this just goes to show poor inexperienced songwriting and in my mind very lazy!

Her voice is quite pleasant and some of the tunes are nice but the laziness of the lyrics just made me laugh and after about 2 listens it just irritated me...

Maybe she will mature and with some songwriting lessons or a good mentor she will get better but she has not impressed me with this album.

Young Offender
Westbury, Wilts
1st September 2008

Autopilot Xenomania
Cilmi has a characterful voice, but her album is let down by poor quality control. 'Sweet About Me' is undeniably great, and the ballad 'Safer' is well above average, but much of the rest seems like autopilot Xenomania to me - too many tracks sound like the ones Girls Aloud left in the wreckage after a ram-raid on the studio. The bonus cover of 'Echo Beach', a proper song with a memorable tune, only shows up the fluffy filler that precedes it.

p!nk4ever
uk
27th August 2008

wow
loving this album,
can't stop listening to it,
she is going be be HUGE!

A. L. Campbell

2nd August 2008

Is There Anything Sweet About Gabby?
One of the best albums i've heard since Amy Macdonald's 2007 album This Is The Life, Best Album Of 2008, once you here Sweet About Me you'd expect it to all be soul, but the devilish side of Gabby comes out in 6 of the albums top tracks which are, Save The Lies, Got No Place To Go, Don't Wanna Go To Bed Now, Messy, Terrifying and Echo Beach, She sounds good whilst being devilish, You've got the soul singing side of gab in great tracks such as, Sweet About Me, Sanctuary, Einstein, Awkward Game, Safer, Sit In The Blues, thease bring out gabby realy good, one of the best tracks on the album Cigerettes And Lies i think fits in both categories, do u like a good Pop Soul RnB collaberation then this is one 4 u.