Sara Bareilles Lays Down Choice Chops

Time for everybody to lighten up. You suspect Sara Bareilles was thinking that when she went into the studio to record "I Choose You"? Single number 2 from "The Blessed Unrest" charms the pants off of me. How could it not when it tosses in a fetching smorgasboard ranging from winsome background harmonies to nattily plucked strings to Sara's wisely stepping away from the aggressive pitch she wielded for "Brave". That only stands to reason since that opening single was rooted in throwing off limitations. Call to action was its major concern. "I Choose You" delights in the sweet spot two lovers find when they're at last on the same page. Over and over we've been told love is so darned messy. What goodness it is to be bathed in the rainbow spangled glow of romance performed at optimal sync. Sara coos joyfully throughout which makes her praise fun to live through vicariously. Her newly kindled belief bursts out of the starlet. There's a spot in some performers' vocal range where innocence harnessed becomes optimism renewed. An excellent example of that would be "Guardian", a single from Alanis Morrissette. She throws aside any reservation which could have her resisting love's multi-pronged message. Here also the band musicians emboss her cloud chasing sprightliness with sunbeams you'd want to meet full on, total glow unleashed. What I've admired about Sara from day one is she always can be counted on to guide the parameters of her voice to match the material in front of her. "Love Song", her firm refusal to just belt out a love song cause her label asked her to carried with it the patented Helen Reddy "I Am Woman" lioness ferociousness. "King of Anything" similarly paints Sara in the role of empowered female unwilling to tolerate bollocks. "Brave" had a freeing edge. "I Choose You" stands out as Sara's gentlest track to date. Listen in closely to capture the full effect of Sara singing from the rare pinnacle of inner contentment. Not that the believing in love question hasn't been kicked around quite a bit in song. Do give Sara the nod for addressing it in such a sequined dress incandescent fashion that the question is worth musing on for the umpteenth and change time. Little touches come up big. That smorgasboard effect I touched on higher up on this page? Never is it heavy handed. No air time is spend going on tangents that don't lend credibility to the song. If "I Choose You" puts a healthy shine on your core being thanks go to how adorably located each side player is. The backup singing inches in rather than hogging the spotlight. The string players? They only exist to frost this cake with extra meet cute. "I Choose You" merits consideration as one of the better hand clap tunes currently in rotation on A/C stations. True love is elusive, the rarest diamond a jeweler has at his disposal. Sara shouts to the world that she and Mr. Right finally got it right. Magic absent a black hat and rabbits has been achieved. Sara has done an outstanding job making a name for herself as a top notch singles artist. "I Choose You" is an excellent selection if what you're looking for in ear enticement is warm going down, increasingly tasteful after repeated glassfuls.