Happenstance

Artist: Rachael Yamagata
Label: RCA Victor
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Content/Copy-Protected CD
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 828765056625
EAN: 0828765056625
ASIN: B00022KF1A

Release Date: 2004-06-08

Happenstance

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General

| Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General

| Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock

| Pop | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative

| Pop | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Be Be Your Love
Letter Read
Worn Me Down
Paper Doll
Ill Find A Way
1963
Under My Skin
Meet Me By The Water
Even So
I Want You
Reason Why
Moments With Oliver
Quiet

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There is a combustible quality about newcomer Rachael Yamagata that for a lot of listeners will call to mind Fiona Apple: A first spin of Happenstance can make you itch with the thrill of discovery, but it also leaves behind the impression that its singer is vaguely dangerous; which is exactly what makes these songs so absorbing. "Everybody's talking how I can't be your love," she pouts in a melodically engineered stutter on opener "Be Be Your Love," one of several tracks pairing her with a piano that seems to take the brunt of the punishment for her wrecked relationships. The rest of the disc unravels with similar heat: When she growls in her full-time rasp that "(You've) worn me down/like a road/I did everything you told" on the very infectious indie-rock leaning "Worn Me Down," you believe her. But the less stormy numbers work as well, with "1963" coming off as flower-power pop grounded by a voice that knows better and "I Want You" wending its way through a fat, heartsick wallow to emerge someplace burnt in honesty. A late minute-long instrumental feels more tasteful than pretentious, adding to a monster of a debut already fueling hopes that happenstance--the term, not the album--will play a miniscule part in Yamagata's eventual output. --Tammy La Gorce

Album Description

Happenstance…the never can be… Main Entry: hap·pen·stance; Etymology: happen + circumstance: A circumstance especially that is due to chance. - Merriam Webster Dictionary I apologize for insisting on writing my own bio, but I just can not be satisfied with another's account of my psyche when even I don't understand it myself. Welcome to the world of this indecisive control freak hopeless romantic… Happenstance, produced by John Alagia (John Mayer, Dave Matthews etc.), is a collection of songs inspired by my obsessions, often love related, but not always. It's about the battle between chance circumstances and the belief that everything happens for a reason. The title and the back cover addition of `the never can be' suggest that I'm not really endorsing chance, but, in fact insisting that there must be a reason for repeated broken hearts - perhaps a promise of a better situation, learning experience, the greater love etc. It's a circular argument… and it's merely a matter of `happenstance' that the title is what it is anyway. Without the hopefulness of reason, how could anyone weather the highs and lows of relationships and this delightful junk called love. Look to the second album for a more cynical approach in which it all goes to hell and nothing makes sense and chance is winning…

Customer Reviews:

Best cd I have heard in a while.......2007-04-08

This cd is absolutely amazing. I saw that a lot of people found it to depressing. I find that this is what give this album the feeling that it has though. It's not all about the music here, it's about the amazingly beautiful lyrics that she has written. This is a must have album. There isn't a bad track on the record. I hope Rachael makes many more cds to come because I will be right behind her.

Depressing, but brilliant!.......2007-03-28

This is a great album by a talented artist. The only downside is that it can get very depressing. The theme of this album centers around past relationships that didn't end quite so well. Despite that, however, there are plenty of good songs with some excellent lyrics. The depressing factor was not enough for me to reduce the rating!

"Be Be Your Love" is a great introduction to the album and sets the mood perfectly.

"Letter Read" is an emotionally-charged track which resembles Fiona Apple's style.

"Worn Me Down" is as close to a pop song as you'll find on this album, but the theme is still consistent.

"Paper Doll" - Don't really know what to say about this song. It's a rather calm song for the most part.

"I'll Find a Way" can get very depressing. You can feel the pain and desperation in Rachael's voice. Luckily, a more uplifting song is ahead!

"1963" is an upbeat song that reminds me of a beautiful spring day. This is clearly the "happiest" song on the album, both musically and lyrically.

"Under My Skin" is another track that reminds me of Fiona Apple, but there is nothing wrong with that.

"Meet Me By the Water" - I like the lyrics at the end of this song:

"Would you please fall asleep... Holding my hand... 'Cause I've got everything in store for you, baby... If you'll be my man."

How can you say no to that?

"Even So" - This is one of the more depressing songs, but once again, an upbeat song follows.

"I Want You" - This song contains a lot of nice instrumentation. I just wish it was a little longer.

"Reason Why" picks up where "Even So" left off. This song feels a little more emotional though.

"Moments with Oliver" is a peaceful, instrumental track which sets the stage nicely for the next song...

"Quiet"... I find this to be a brilliant track containing some of the most powerful lyrics I have ever heard:

"You may hate me, but I'll remember to love you."

Very profound. You have to respect someone who can say that.

All in all, this is an excellent album. Rachael is very sincere, and holds nothing back. There really is not one track that disappoints.

PJ Harvey/Natalie Imbrouglia (sp)/Sheryl Crow/Aimee Mann All rolled into one........2007-02-27

Oh yeah and Nora Jones too. Yamagata's voice and songwriting exibits all the strenghts of the aforementioned vocalists and writers and none of their drawbacks: repetition. This album shifts across several genres and never gets stuck in a rhythmic rut or vocal hooks. The music is romantic with a dangerous undercurrent. How is it that such young women are producing such "grown up" emotions? Singers of old played around with quirky gimmicks when young and then grew into a mature sound, more often then not the result of hard living and broken hearts. I have always believed that age was no guarantee of wisdom and the touching depth of Yamagata's sound proves it.

Great surprise.......2007-02-23

Bought this as a gift but liked it so much I kept it! One of those rare CDs where you can say every cut is a good one! If you like Sarah MacLaglin, Fiona Apple, or Norah Jones, you'll like Rachel!

Melancholy Baby.......2007-02-18

She's deep and moody and complicated and has a beautiful voice that compliments her poetic lyrics perfectly.

From "Be Be Your Love": Everything's falling and I am included in that/oh how I try to be just okay/but all I ever wanted was a little piece of you

It's a lovely CD.

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