![]() It’s much harder to be cynical about a 15-year old with an amazing voice than a woman in her mid-20’s who’ll do anything for a shot at fame. The question of authenticity is a valid one for Bogaerde, but it feels like she deserves at least more of a break on this than the typical TV talent show winner. But the songs on Bon Iver’s first album came from a really personal place, and no matter how well Birdy sings, it’s hard to fully buy into a 15-year old having that same well of emotion. You can almost see the record company suits standing behind the producer, rubbing their hands together in anticipation of unleashing “the next Adele” on the world. The next song, Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love”, seems like a natural pick for Bogaerde to cover, and her performance is strong. “1901” actually features a full (albeit quiet) band accompaniment, and the novelty of hearing a buoyant Phoenix track morphed into something soft and passionate is a good one. Birdy or her producers chose an indie-rock or folk song, slowed it down, and hoped that her voice carries the track. ![]() ![]() “1901” also sets much of the template for the rest of the album. Her voice is rich and soulful, and it’s amazing that she’s only 15. It’s clear from the opening notes of “1901” that Birdy can really sing. The difference is that 10 of Birdy‘s 11 tracks are cover songs, and not all of them benefit from the stripped (and slowed)-down approach. Birdy, by contrast, feels like it was guided every step of the way by its three producers, despite mostly following the same formula of just letting Bogaerde sing and accompany herself on piano. But Birdy was released in the UK back in November of 2011, and hearing it six months later in the face of “Just a Game” doesn’t necessarily do Bogaerde any favors.Īs befits most of the rest of The Hunger Games soundtrack, “Just a Game” is a stripped-down song written by Bogaerde, and producer T Bone Burnett knew well enough to let her do her voice-and-piano thing with minimal interference. hit North America on the same day as that soundtrack album. In a bit of major label cross-marketing, Birdy’s self-titled debut album for Warner Bros. As an American, my first awareness of Birdy arrived with “Just a Game”, her quiet, aching closer to The Hunger Games soundtrack album. The fact that she was only 12 when she won Open Mic UK may have kept her in the public consciousness a bit more than the typical talent show winner. Birdy, nee Jasmine van den Bogaerde, may be well-known to UK audiences due to her win on a Reality TV singing competition there in 2008. ![]()
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