Brooke White – More on High Hopes & Heartbreak

Agreed 100%. EPIC FAIL for 19E for them to jump on Kristy Lee (who ended up as a complete flop) and pass on Brooke (who is doing great so far). Hopefully she will get a huge week on the charts this week and show them a lesson!

I thought Brooke wasn’t signed because she needed time to put together an album, unlike Kristy who seemed almost proud to have recorded one in 4-5 days.

I really hope she does well. Will check this out today.

I love this music! Brooke did a great job, imo.

Yay, a positive review from one of the most (if not the most influential AI blog) on the internet! Glad to hear that MJ likes the album too! Thanks, MJ!

This some good stuff, I just bought the Use Somebody track ’cause it’s adorable.

This album really is awesome. I am so excited for Brooke.

My favorite songs on the album…aside from the single, Radio, Radio…are California Song (which is a ton of fun…a perfect summer song) and Smile (which is gorgeous). Oh! And High Hopes & Heartbreak is a really surprising disco number which Brooke absolutely pulls off.

The whole thing is fantastic! I hope Brooke does really well.

Thanks MJ. Just listened to all the tracks, and I really like them. Very pleasant listening. I plan to buy the album.

IMO, Brooke was like the female Kris Allen of Season 7. Major differences: Brooke always seemed very nervous when she performed before the judges, while Kris seemed pretty relaxed; and, Brooke apparently didn’t have the tweenie girl fan base committed to spending 2-4 hours a week power voting for her.

Once the show is over there should no longer be winners and losers. There’s plenty of room for talented artists in the music business.

Ryan has called Brooke “the nicest person ever to perform on American Idol.” That alone makes me wish her all the success and happiness in her musical career.

After a first listen, I love it.

Well if they were gonna force Brooke to record an album in 5 days and come up with the forgettable drivel that KLC did, then I’m glad they didn’t sign her. It would be nice if she gets the promotion her record deserves though. She’s selling pretty well without any kind of national promotion… just imagine if she actually gets some decent promo.

Oh well, tis is the life of an indie artist. At least she’s doing well enough. I love, love, love this album and I hope there will be a follow up to this.

This CD is very disappointing because I thought Brooke had tremendous potential in tapping into the current music scene alongside Jason Mraz and Colbie. The sound she has here dated and doesn’t seem at all current to me. Her pre-idol album, in a sense, came across as “fresher” even.

Maybe if 19 had signed her, she could have worked alongside better songwriters and such. As of now, Brooke’s cover of “Use Somebody” is her highest selling song– not exactly good news for a budding singer-songwriter. 19 really dropped the ball with this one.

I love it. Thanks for the head’s up MJ. I don’t understand when people say “dated sound” or “not current”. If an artist comes out with something different and people like it, that’s a good thing. Who determines what the “current sound” is anyway. Must be the drivel they feed us on the radio these days. If you feed people hot dogs, that’s what they’ll eat. The same goes for steak and lobster. In my opinion we’ve been fed hot dogs for waaaaay to long. If this album is labeled as dated and doesn’t sell or get airplay, that’s a damn shame. Music styles do come around again and again. I’m ready for some steak and lobster.

I bought the album and really like it. Brooke sounds great – and some of the songs are outstanding.

I bought this album a few days ago on itunes and have listened all the way through a couple of times. I really like it. I especially like her cover of Use Somebody. I don’t really understand the “not current” criticism either. It is not aimed at the teen market I am sure, but it sounds very fresh to me, and I think it’s a great summer album especially.

IMO, Brooke was like the female Kris Allen of Season 7. Major differences: Brooke always seemed very nervous when she performed before the judges, while Kris seemed pretty relaxed; and, Brooke apparently didn’t have the tweenie girl fan base committed to spending 2-4 hours a week power voting for her.

Other than me being a heavily committed 19 year old guy and not a tweenie girl, I agree somewhat here. Granted, Kris showed more arranging skill (One of the things I believed was key to him winning, and one of the things I loved about him), but they seemed like generally very nice people with a great musical talent with great power to connect to their audiences.

I’m pretty excited to hear these songs.

very pretty girl
very beautiful voice
don’t like the album at all
boring songs…..and IMO not at all in the same league as Carol King or Joni M
I was hoping I would like them, as I miss that type of music, but I don’t like the songs..

might as well be bubblegumcountry

I’m a big fan. I find her voice interesting and lovely and, like MJ said, classic but fresh. Really love several songs on the album. Not in the league of Carol or Joni–that is a tall order. But still some good stuff there. Wishing her nothing but great success.

I liked this. It was very pretty. I’m usually impatient when I first listen to something new and I fast forward a lot. This cd I didn’t. I listened while I was getting ready to go out tonight. Very nice. Thanks for the link.

This is very pleasant. Downloaded today. I like it. But it’s not really contemporary. I find it kind of dated, but that doesn’t bother me. I like the 70′s female singer-songwriter vibe. I just don’t see how she would have a radio hit with any of these songs, which may have something to do with 19 passing on her. That’s all they care about…

Just want to let you know it is CAROLE KING, who is fantastic in concert. Carole (with an e) would be a great mentor.

Who determines what the ‘current sound’  is anyway. Must be the drivel they feed us on the radio these days.

Thank you for bringing this up. Personally, I don’t think the 70′s singer/songwriter vibe will ever be outdated. Good music is good music. Brooke has the ability to deliver a sweet sounding song, and I look forward to listening to this album. I wish her the very best!

I am also looking forward to Jason Castro’s album release. Brooke and Jason (and others) are a reminder of why Season 7 was one of my favorites.

I downloaded it from iTunes the week it was first available there. I’ve listened to it quite a bit, and I really enjoy most of it. To me, it’s a lot better than most of the crappy cd’s the AI kids have put out the last couple of years.

I also see the similarities between Kris and Brooke. He won, so he will get more promo/ Very much alike in style.

Thanks for the thumbs up review, MJ! As I have said here before, this album is as smooth as silk. I really loved her first album (“S.F.t Attic”) and this one is just wonderful as well. Has that same buttery, new/old feel of her first one.

I remember the first time I heard Taylor Hick’s (Taylor who??) indie album “Under the Radar”, I felt the same way. Such an easy, enjoyable listen. Sadly, he has not reproduced that original sound of his on his follow-up CD’s.

Brooke, on the other hand, has hit this one out of the park. Exactly what I wanted to hear from her. Excellent choice, Randy!

Maybe if 19 had signed her, she could have worked alongside better songwriters and such.

I agree that a major label deal would likely have resulted in better cowriters and ultimately better material (this is why I think Jason’s Atlantic pairing will be good), BUT, there is no way Brooke wouldn’t have crumbled under the pressure of the type of schedule the 19 labels would’ve required of her. She’s a songwriter and rightly wants to write/cowrite most/all her material, and to do that and release something last Fall (like the 19 labels would’ve wanted), she would’ve lost it. David Cook said RCA was very open to letting him write the entire record if he wanted, but then he saw the schedule and realized he had 2 days off the entire summer. Brooke’s summer blogs about insomnia, not getting rest on the bus, and trying to manage the signings and meet and greets made me realize girl had her hands full with just the AI tour.

I remember in AI, my favorite Brooke performance was her stripped down arrangement of Love Is a Battlefield, and how that level was never matched for me as the competition progressed. She said in her exit interview with Idolatry that the pace of the show didn’t allow her the time to do that type of work every week because she needs more time. This album’s material could be better, yes, but given everything, I think it’s perfect for Brooke. Hopefully a few songs get more exposure, she’ll get a second album, and her next offering will be even better.

I think Brooke blew her chance with this album. Too old fashioned to take much advantage of her Idol fan base. More Heartbreak than High Hopes I suspect.