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This Is the Life

Amy Macdonald

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iTunes Review

If her debut album is any indication, 20 year-old Amy Macdonald is an old soul, possibly the reincarnation of a Scottish troubadour. Her husky vocals and traditional folk instincts seem from an earlier time, but her song themes are distinctly contemporary. The thrills and seductions of modern-day show business are very much on her mind, and Macdonald brings a precocious wisdom to tunes like “Poison Prince,” “L.A.,” and “Footballer’s Wife,” estimating the price of success with a wary eye. A brooding restlessness pervades these tracks, whether the lyrics deal with grubby everyday existence (the title tune), the aspirations of the rising generation (“Youth of Today”), or yearning for real love (“A Wish for Something More”). Producer Pete Wilkinson does a commendable job in fleshing out the melodies with Spanish horns (“Let’s Start a Band”), rockabilly rhythms (“Barrowland Ballroom”), and string flourishes (“Footballer’s Wife”). Though she simmers rather than burns as a singer, Macdonald rises to passionate heights in “Run.” This is the Life shows impressive artistic maturity even as it captures the urgency of young adulthood.

Customer Reviews

SHOCKER.....

I SWEAR OVERSEAS IS WHERE IT'S AT. the US over the past ten years has had some of THE MOST un-impressive lame music.....it just seems like overseas is where it's happening. U2, COLDPLAY, KEANE, AMY WINEHOUSE, the TING TINGS, THE COURTEENERS, DUFFY, KT tunstall, JAMES BLUNT....LEONA LEWIS and now Amy MacDonald....who blows amy winehouse out of the water in my opinion. This chick is awesome....and her sound is amazing... The europeans sure value music to it's core....and their powerhouse lineup is stunning. Maybe the record labels in the US should consider the fact that these acts are DOMINATING over our own here. Maybe they should look for artists with more talent??? Less Fergies.....less All American Rejects....Less Justin T's..... don't get me wrong.... I love pop music....and the US has had some great charts runs with the artists that I just mentioned....but they PALE when held up next to the likes of artists like AMY MACDONALD.... I hope this gir l gets huge here....she's amazing.

This IS the Life!

Reviewer named Shocker couldn't have said it better. US radio and record labels who care more about tween-bop have totally missed the boat. The UK (and Australia for that matter) have such better music and an example of this is the great Amy McDonald. She is solid on every song. She has talent that only most can dream about. This is a solid album from an artist who stand the test of time.

And You’re Singing a Song Thinking This Is the Life

There has been a retro renaissance coming out of Great Britain as heard from the voices of Amy Winehouse and Duffy. In the northern part of the British Isles there seems to be a rock resurgence from the lasses of Scotland. First there was the Bo Diddley honoring KT Tunstall with her Black Horse and the Cherry Tree. Now the land of kilts and bagpipes brings us Amy MacDonald, another guitar toting singer. Unlike Tunstall, whose formative years were spent in New England, MacDonald is Scottish born and bread leaving her with a thick accent that can even be heard in her singing voice that hasn’t been heard since the chick from The Cranberries. The differences to Tunstall also draw a line in musicianship where MacDonald really has only one gear, where Tunstall could craft many different tunes, each as good as the previous. But that one gear is pretty good, the showstopper being the title track, an upbeat Celtic folk song about going down to your local pub for some ale and a band. That same esthetic goes the same for Mr. Rock and Roll and the ode to Pete Doherty Poison Prince. The slow, strings laden Footballer’s Wives also get a sarcastic song on their behalf. Also on the disk is the Mexican horns opening for Let’s Start a Band that conjures up images of the previously mentioned small town pub that quickly morph into stadium with Amy telling Rolling Stone and Glastonbury to get ready. It could make any Guitar Hero to put down a plastic toy and pick up a real ax. The variety may not be as wide on This Is the Life but keep in mind Tunstall has more than a decade on the twenty year old, with age, maybe MacDonald Rolling Stone cover premonition could come true before she hits thirty.

Biography

Born: August 25, 1987 in Glasgow, Scotland

Genre: Pop

Years Active: '00s, '10s

Amy MacDonald is a Scottish singer/songwriter who, at the age of 20, began topping the European charts with her Celtic-tinged folk music. Born on August 25, 1987, she studied social sciences while attending university and, like many teenagers, spent her days dreaming of pilgrimages to music festivals like T in the Park. Inspired by the songwriting skills of Francis Healy and the sweeping pop/rock of Travis, the 12-year-old MacDonald picked up a guitar that had been left lying around the house from...
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