Drastic Fantastic

by KT Tunstall

Overview

After the surprise international success of her 2005 debut, Eye to the Telescope, there were two ways that KT Tunstall could have gone: she could have succumbed to its sleepy, serious undercurrents, bringing herself closer to Dido, or she could have pursued the brighter, poppier inclinations of its singles "Black Horse & the Cherry Tree" and "Suddenly I See." A quick glance at the cover of her 2007 follow-up, Drastic Fantastic, leaves little doubt of which path she chose. The singer/songwriter, who was pictured in a pensive pose on the U.K. cover of her debut and in a stark black-and-white photo on the U.S. release, is decked out in a white dress and high-heeled boots, sporting a giant silver-spangled electric guitar, on the cover of Drastic Fantastic. She clearly has gone pop, but she's done so without sacrificing her subtle skills as a writer, for as splashy as the sound of this album is, it isn't just about sound: it's built on songs that are alternately grabbing and insinuating, songs that are as memorable as the sweetly polished production, and more lasting as well. Drastic Fantastic may be as candied as any good adult pop record should be, but it doesn't stay in one place; it bounces between sparkly, insistent pop, sweet and gentle slow tunes, songs that rework the "Black Horse" rhythm, and tunes that are stripped down to her and a guitar. In a time where singer/songwriters are long on bloodletting emotion but short on musicality, this variety is a relief, as is Tunstall's unabashed embrace of being a mainstream troubadour -- and it's not a sell-out, either, because the songs are strong and beneath that glossy veneer, there is genuine emotion here. These are the elements that make Drastic Fantastic a rare beast: a pop album with a songwriter's heart, and one that works on both levels. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	09/18/2007
Label:	Relentless
UPC:	0094639561827

Tracks

1. Little Favours
2. If Only
3. White Bird
4. Funnyman
5. Hold On
6. Hopeless
7. I Don't Want You Now
8. Saving My Face
9. Beauty of Uncertainty
10. Someday Soon
11. Paper Aeroplane

Album Credits

Performance Credits

KT Tunstall   Primary Artist,Cello,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Ukulele,Keyboards,Glockenspiel,Fender Rhodes,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Arnulf Lindner   Cello,Double Bass,Bass (Vocal),Bass
David Angel   Violin
Willy Mason   Vocals (Background)
Kenny Dickenson   Piano,Melodica,Harmonium,Keyboards,Glockenspiel,Fender Rhodes,Organ (Hammond),Vocals (Background)
Sam Lewis   Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Arnie Lindner   Double Bass
Cat Sforza   Vocals (Background)
Steve Osborne   Keyboards,Mellotron,Percussion,Bass (Vocal),Guitar (Bass),Guitar Effects,Bass,Piano,Guitar,Machines,Woodwind,Harmonium
Kristin Wilkinson   Viola
David Davidson   Violin
John Catchings   Cello
Sam M. Lewis   Dobro,Guitar
John Petrocelli   Guitar,Spanish Guitar
Gita Harcourt   Vocals (Background)
Paul Stacey   Guitar
Jimmy Hogarth   Guitar (Acoustic)
Luke Bullen   Drums,Percussion
David Angell   Violin

Technical Credits

Kenny Dickenson   Arranger,Rhythm Arrangements,String Arrangements,Keyboard Arrangements,Synthesizer Arrangements
Daewoo Kim   Recording,String Engineer
Freddie Perren   Composer
Deke Richards   Composer
KT Tunstall   Composer,Remix Engineer
Tim Young   Mastering Engineer
My Riot   Remix Engineer
Louiguy   Composer
Katie Tunstall   Composer
Samuel Ronald Dixon   Composer
Anna Tjang   Assistant Engineer
Christopher De Freitas   Mixing,Producer
Subsonar   Remix Engineer
Tunnelz   Remix Engineer
Simon Bishop   Recording
Berry Gordy, Jr.   Composer
Bob Ludwig   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Ed Case   Composer
Fonce Mizell   Composer
Edith Piaf   Composer
Mack David   Arranger
David Wolinsky   Composer
Freelance Hellraiser   Remix Engineer
Tim Bran   Mixing
Anna Tjan   Assistant Engineer
Roy Kerr   Mixing
Samuel Dixon   Composer
Guy Davie   Mastering Engineer
Zoe Smith   Assistant Engineer
Sam Dixon   Composer
Andy Baldwin   Mastering Engineer
Robin Footitt   Artwork,Paintings
Will Hensley   Engineer,Mixing Assistant
Kevin Majorino   Mixing,Recording
Richard Morris   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Recording
Simon Dawson   Assistant Engineer
Steve Osborne   Producer
Liam Sternberg   Composer
Jimmy Hogarth   Composer
Martin Terefe   Composer
Michael Brauer   Mixing
William Paden Hensley   Digital Editing,Mixing Assistant