Picture Imperfect

Album Review

Picture Imperfect is a promising debut album by Shiloh, a 16-year-old punk-pop singer/songwriter from British Columbia, Canada, with a spunky delivery and positive-minded lyrics. Though generally billed as a singer/songwriter, she doesn't write all of the songs on Picture Imperfect, and indeed gets a lot of songwriting assistance from Mike James, Troy Samson, Rupert Gayle, and others. All the same, the songs are often impressive, particularly on the first half of the album, which includes the singles "Operator (A Girl Like Me)," "Goodbye, You Suck," "Alright," and "I Remember." "Operator (A Girl Like Me)" is most impressive, skipping along to a ska rhythm during the verse before bursting into the chorus, and "Goodbye, You Suck" is similarly impressive, once again skipping along during the verse before the synth-powered chorus kicks in. "Alright" and "I Remember" are different in style; the former is a reggae-pop song with a feel-good vibe, while the latter is something of a piano ballad. The remainder of the album also ranges in style, veering from full-throttle rockers ("Get to You") and electro-pop party-starters ("Raise a Little Hell Now") to all kinds of ballads ("Better," "Strong Enough to Cry," "Ruin Me"). Several songs are reminiscent in style to Pink, albeit less developed. At only 16 years of age, Shiloh has plenty of time to develop not only her songwriting but also her persona, and it will be interesting to see what comes of her in the future, for she definitely has the makings of a punk-pop superstar. In any event, she's off to a promising start with Picture Imperfect, a likable album with lots of hit material., Rovi