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Copeland - You Are My Sunshine
By Cassie Gressell
Published: October 14, 2008
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Band: Copeland
Album: You Are My Sunshine
Label: Tooth & Nail
Overall Score: 3.5/5

 

Around this time last year, with the release of Copeland’s b-side collection Dressed Up and in Line, I dubbed the band “the kittens of rock”. It appears that Copeland has thrown me for a loop with their newest effort, You Are My Sunshine, which, rather than serving as home to Copeland’s usual whispery vocals and light piano pop, shows the band branching further and further into nu metal territory.

Okay. I’m sure no one bought that.

In all reality, You Are My Sunshine is an extremely fitting follow-up to 2006’s Eat, Sleep, Repeat, with Copeland boasting more and more tracks that fall perfectly in with the dreamy songs that made up each previous release. Copeland is all but synonymous with “songs that are great to fall asleep to”, or better yet, “songs that will help you woo that really cute girl in your fourth period English class”, and You Are My Sunshine does not stray from that characteristic in the slightest. If anything, it further drives the point home.

The album opens with “Should You Return”, which features a lightly pulsing beat and bordering on falsetto vocals that set the tone for the remainder of the album right away. “Chin Up” is an early highlight, with a soft-spoken melody and memorable chorus. The song is a testament to what Copeland does best – swirling pop songs featuring instrumentals that are equally lush and simplistic with smooth, charming vocals.

“The Day I Lost My Voice (The Suitcase Song)” combines a lazy electronica tone through the beat with faintly humming keys and echoed vocals that pull together for an understated but pretty result. “Not Allowed” takes a similar approach, although speeding things up this time around. The lazy beat of “The Day I Lost My Voice (The Suitcase Song)” is traded in for a quicker, bouncy one, combined with twinkling piano and hopeful vocals. “What Do I Know?” stands out on You Are My Sunshine due to a more full band approach, with twisting guitar leading to a breathy chorus with the assistance of jittery drums.

At this point, there is not much about Copeland’s style that is all too surprising for anyone who is already even vaguely familiar with the band. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though. Rather than using each album as a means for experimenting, Copeland further hones their already noteworthy sound with each album they release. As a result of this, You Are My Sunshine is surprisingly strong, despite what all of the introspection and even what the cushy title might imply, serving as just the latest step in a career filled with songs that appear to get more and more beautiful with each release.



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