I Dreamed A Dream
- Susan Boyle
- Band Name: Susan Boyle
- Record Label: Sony
- Release Date: Nov 23, 2009
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On an album without humor or melodrama, a devotional spirit reigns.
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For fans of Boyle's original Britain's Got Talent clip, the result might be a bit of a letdown, especially in snoozily competent versions of 'Daydream Believer' and Madonna's 'You'll See,' which offer none of her jarred-lightning charm.
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Boyle sings beautifully throughout, delivering more of the same of what she did in her moment in the sun on television. Those won over by Boyle, either her voice or story, will surely be satisfied.
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60There are some lovely vocal performances here and some well-appointed and understated arrangements. But not one of Boyle's versions transcends the original or adds much of an emotional shading, other than a consistent undercurrent of melancholy that makes the album feel increasingly drab.
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Boyle is perfectly comfortable singing actual hymns like 'Amazing Grace,' though her take on them is pretty much on a level with any local church's choir star. She's at her worst when she pushes harder; she doesn't know how to build drama, and her throat seems to constrict as she reaches for bigger notes.
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40The earnest piano arrangements and Boyle's tender but colourless readings of 12 familiar songs will undoubtedly be bliss to fans of musical theatre; anyone else will be gnawing the sleeve in frustration after five minutes.
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40I Dreamed a Dream finds Ms. Boyle casting about for some kind of musical identity.
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Because the songs are so riddled with cliches and are largely too familiar, and because the music is so tepid and tasteful to a fault, the album simply isn't able to overcome that lack of depth.
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User score distribution:
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Positive: 8 out of 14
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Mixed: 4 out of 14
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Negative: 2 out of 14
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MarieN2
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10This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view.