Virgin / Relentless
***
After years spent busking on the streets of British and American cities, the Scottish singer KT Tunstall emerged in 2004 as a fully formed artist, with an instantly distinguishable folk-pop sound and what seemed like an endless supply of hits. Her debut, Eye to the Telescope, sold millions internationally and was nominated for the UK's coveted Mercury Prize, but like so many artists who arrive fully formed, Tunstall struggled to break the mould when the time came to record a follow-up. Essentially offering more of the same, save for some glam touches, 2007's Drastic Fantastic failed to recapture the commercial success of her debut. On her third album, Tiger Suit, the singer has chosen to experiment with something she calls "nature techno" - somewhat reminiscent of the spooky and disjointed music of Bat for Lashes. But if this really is the sound of Tunstall's big departure, it doesn't half sound familiar.
Recorded at Germany's Hansa studio - the same location near to the site of the Berlin Wall where David Bowie's "Heroes" and U2's Achtung Baby were made - it was produced by Jim Abbiss, the chief collaborator of the electro-rockers Kasabian. Beginning with its droning keyboard and almost tribal backing vocals, opener Uummannaq Song at first sounds unlike anything the singer has tried before, but things soon change. Tunstall's raspy vocal is unmistakable, but it's her straight-to-the-point songwriting that instantly calls to mind her previous albums. The occasional tinkle of glockenspiel here, thunderclap drum beat there, or whatever other new noise Tunstall and Abbiss have discovered won't hide the fact that most of the songs sprint straight to their choruses, which invariably sound like rallying cries for some undefined cause.
The programmed beats and atmospherics of the second track Glamour Puss continue Tunstall's sonic exploration all the way to (Still a) Weirdo, but while the musician has inventively incorporated the sounds of newer artists (particularly Bat for Lashes, but also Fever Ray) into her own, she seems to have left out all of the crucial weirdness. There's also a smattering of songs that are near-indistinguishable from those on previous albums. The upbeat acoustic number Push That Knot Away, the summery Fade Like a Shadow and the album's closer, The Entertainer are pleasant enough, but seem a little neglected.
The album's best moments are the ones that see Tunstall break completely new ground - not just aesthetically, but in terms of songwriting too. Golden Frames, which also features the baritone of fellow folk-rocker Seasick Steve, has a sense of drama that recalls the duets of Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra. As well as featuring a glorious fuzzed-out riff, Difficulty sees Tunstall taking her time and experimenting with structure.
While the singer deserves applause for trying out new sounds and for continuing to write catchy tunes, the album lacks the wealth of ideas needed to truly be called a departure. While Tunstall's tiger is certainly no longer a domestic house cat, it's no wild animal either.