British singer kills ’em with kindness

By Sara Allen
Collegian Editor
September 27, 2006

Sandi Thom is a singer/songwriter who was born and raised in Scotland. Growing up, she wrote songs, which were not very good, but laid the foundation for her future career. It was Thom’s unique personality and quirky demeanor that got her a record deal, though. She was tired of driving to shows, so she simply bought a web cam and announced that there was to be a run of 21 shows in the basement of her flat in London.

At each show, the audience capacity was six people, and the show was broadcasted for free on the Internet for whoever else wanted to watch. By the middle of the second week of shows, the Internet audience was reaching 70,000 people. Record labels visited her flat and rushed to sign her. Eventually, Thom signed a deal with RCA Records in front of her live Internet following. It was a quirky way for a quirky artist to catch her big break. Thom was an overnight Internet sensation, and her debut album, Smile… It Confuses People has finally been released in stores.

“Oh, I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair/In ’77 and ’69 revolution was in the air/I was born too late into a world that doesn’t care/Oh, I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair.” “I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)” was the first song to be released from Thom’s album, so naturally it is the most well-known. This song is just starting to hit the U.S. airwaves and is getting a huge response.

Aside from being a powerful statement about the state of the world today compared to the past, it showcases Thom’s voice like no other song on the album. Her singing is the main focus on the track, with a few musical instruments to back her up. With this song, pay attention to her potent lyrics.

While remaining true to her heartfelt and inspiring lyrics, Thom knows what listeners like to hear. “The Human Jukebox” is your typical, catchy pop song – about a karaoke show. She knows how to take a light, bubbly, standard pop tune and make it interesting by singing about an unusual event that isn’t touched on very often.

“I don’t want the sun, don’t want you to run/Don’t want Superman, don’t need wonderland/I want you to love me.” “Superman” is a simple song about love. Again, listen to the lyrics on this one; Thom has a superb way of saying things that have been said a million times before in a completely new way. She knows how to use words to evoke emotions from people; you can tell that she really thought about the songs before writing them.

Simply put, Thom’s vocals and lyrics make this album. They are what Smile... It Confuses People is all about. The music is just there to back them up. In addition to the three songs mentioned here, there are seven more on the album.

allens3@lasalle.edu