Having experienced great success with July 2007 full length debut 'Coco' (which charted at position five on the Billboard 200 charts), Colbie Caillat returns with successor 'Breakthrough'. Inaugurated by acoustic strumming, opening cut "I Won't"'s breezy nature bears a laid back demeanour. Country'esque pop, the track has a mildly infectious chorus. The words "I won't do what you told / I won't do what you said" prove rhythmic, certainly tempting listeners to sing along. This mid paced, jolliful stroll lays the foundations for all that is to come, its seductive chorus prevalent within "Begin Again", and also other tracks like "Fallin' For You" and "Runnin' Around", albeit to a lesser extent. Slightly lighter in terms of sonics as well as being fractionally slower, "Begin Again"'s chorus nonetheless hastens the number's speed somewhat. The track concludes by backing vocalists repeating Caillat's refrain of "I never knew what I had" - while simple, this nonetheless capably handles the task of bringing "Begin Again" to an end.
A soulful piano begins "You Got Me", a departure from the guitar driven nature of previous songs "I Won't" and "Begin Again". A piano supports Caillat's voice, though a guitar emerges when the chorus begins. Other tracks lie in the same vein and provide decent support, such as "Rainbow". "Droplets" happens to be 'Breakthrough''s sole duet, where songwriter Jason Reeves appears in a vocal capacity. Given its distinction as the album's sole duet, the song needs to be greater than much of its fellow numbers, though it unfortunately isn't. Reeves has a nice voice, but that voice overwhelms in this instance, Caillat being wrongly relegated to a supporting role. Marginally slower in pace, "Fearless" is sadder in tone. Its the type of track that might provide comfort to listeners on a rueful day, or could make them further depressed, especially in light of the refrain "Go on and break my heart". Other tunes almost match the track in terms of mood and tempo, such as "Break Through" and "Breakin' at the Clocks".
Generally speaking, the music lends its support to Caillat's voice. As said previously, Caillat's delivery is rhythmic and hook-laden. Commercial, easy listening compositions, all are tailor made for radio. The lyrics are roughly what one would expect with such material, tackling subjects related to love, but this is unlikely to detract from its appeal. Should you take delight in light, country'esque pop that typically airs on radio during a Sunday afternoon, then 'Breakthrough' will definitely bring a smile to your face. Expect several cuts from this album to make sizeable dents on the charts.
Reviewed by Robert Gray
