Trouble (Bonnie McKee album)
| Trouble | ||||
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| Studio album by Bonnie McKee | ||||
| Released | September 28, 2004 | |||
| Recorded | 2002–2003 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 50:37 | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Producer |
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| Bonnie McKee chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Trouble | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
Trouble is the debut album of American singer-songwriter Bonnie McKee, released in September 2004. The songs were written when she was aged 14–15, and reflect events in her life at the time. McKee had produced six of these in demo form in 2001, and they were broadcast on Seattle radio stations as well as the National Public Radio network.
McKee had essentially completed the album in New York City with Bob Power as producer, when Reprise asked her to record "Somebody" with Rob Cavallo in California. Pleased with the more layered sound, she decided to re-record all but "January" and "I Hold Her". This delayed the album's release by a year.
Singles
Two singles were released from the album—the title track "Trouble" and "Somebody". The latter had featured on the soundtrack album of Win a Date With Tad Hamilton! (2004).
Reception
Johnny Loftus of Allmusic gave an mixed-negative review, saying "McKee's lyrics about adolescent empowerment and the ways of the heart aren't too different from what's already out there. But the songs still share the album's affected quality. It's as if the quirkier arrangements are intended as image builders, designed to add a spunky flair to the tousled, sassy McKee. Pop music doesn't require very much substance -- it's meant to be inviting, familiar, and easily accessible. But while Bonnie McKee's debut features an ultra-modern sound that's been proven successful, its homogenization ends up working against it. Pretty but ultimately empty, Trouble doesn't establish McKee as anything more than another hopeful"[2]
"Lead single "Trouble," "January," and "When It All Comes Down" all pulse along on electronic percussion and multiple layers of crackling guitar effects, and McKee is surrounded by multiple vocal tracks. Slower material like "Sensitive Subject Matter" and the ballad "Honey" do showcase her voice, which is stronger and more expressive than many of her peers. But the warmth in McKee's vocals and "Honey"'s piano and horns are at odds with a programmed artificiality that generally makes Trouble's vitality fade. The bluesy arrangement of "Green Grass" is a nice touch; it's like a slicker version of Joss Stone's style. And the rangy acoustic guitar effects of "A Voice That Carries" complement nicely its modern cowgirl mosey".[2]
Commercial performance
However, despite good reviews, the album had disappointing sales and McKee was subsequently dropped from Reprise Records. McKee spoke about the album being unsuccessful, saying "It was devastating when the album didn't happen," she said. "I realized there are so many steps from getting a deal to having a hit...and I didn't get there. It was a huge letdown."[3]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Trouble" | Bonnie McKee, Adam Niall Breslin | 4:05 | |
| 2. | "When It All Comes Down" | McKee | 4:08 | |
| 3. | "Open Your Eyes" | McKee, John Wetton, Geoff Downes | 5:04 | |
| 4. | "Somebody" | McKee, Robert Orrall, Al Anderson | 4:12 | |
| 5. | "A Voice That Carries" | McKee | 4:48 | |
| 6. | "Honey" | Mckee, Seymour Simons, Haven Gillespie, Richard Whiting | 4:45 | |
| 7. | "Green Grass" | McKee | 4:22 | |
| 8. | "January" | McKee, David Paton | 4:10 | |
| 9. | "Marble Steps" | McKee | 4:30 | |
| 10. | "Sensitive Subject Matter" | McKee | 4:05 | |
| 11. | "I Hold Her" | McKee, Lou Reed | 3:12 | |
| 12. | "Confessions of a Teenage Girl" | McKee | 3:00 | |
Total length: |
50:23 | |||
Credits
- Bonnie McKee - vocals, keyboards
- Paul Bushnell - bass on 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10
- Rob Cavallo - acoustic guitar on 1, 10, 12; electric guitar on 2
- Greg Curtis - 3 (Hammond organ) on 4
- Dan Chase - Pro Tools on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12; programming on 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12
- Luis Conte - percussion on 1, 2
- Eric Ferguson - Pro Tools on 5, 6, 10
- Bashiri Johnson - percussion on 11
- Robbie Kondor - piano on 11
- Abe Laboriel Jr. - drums on 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10
- Doug McKean - Pro Tools on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12
- David McKelvy - harmonica on 2
- Tommy Morgan - harmonica on 5
- Jamie Muhoberac - keyboards on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
- Gary Novak - drums on 5, 6, 10
- Tim Pierce - guitars on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12
- Doug Petty - piano on 8
- Bob Power - guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, percussion on 8, 11
- Buddy Schaub - horns on 6
- Pete Wallewski - horns on 6
- Patrick Warren - chamberlin on 4
- Emma Kummrow, Igor Szwec, Gloria Justen, Olga Konopelsky, Ghislaine Fleischmann, Gregory Tepperman - violin on 11
- Davis Barnett, Peter Nocella - viola on 11
- Jennie Lorenzo, James Cooper III - cello on 11
Production
- "January" and "I Hold Her":
- Producer - Bob Power
- Recording - Lindsay Marcus, Bob Power, Blair Wells, David Winslow
- Mixing - Dan Chase ("January"); Bob Power, Blair Wells ("I Hold Her")
- All other tracks:
- Producer - Rob Cavallo
- Co-producer - Antonina Armato
- Recording - Dan Chase, Doug McKean, Allen Sides
- Mixing - Chris Lord-Alge, Tom Lord-Alge
References
- ↑ Trouble (Bonnie McKee album) at AllMusic
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Loftus, Johnny. "Bonnie McKee - Trouble: Review by Johnny Loftus". http://www.allmusic.com/''. Allmusic. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
- ↑ Kawashima, Dale. "Hot Songwriter Bonnie McKee Writes Hits with Katy Perry and Taio Cruz, Readies Her Own Album". http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/''. SongWriterUniverse. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
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