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Album: Courtney Jaye: Traveling Light
Street Date: June 7, 2005
Length: 48:34
Rating: 
Reviewed by: Brian
For 27 year old singer/songwriter Courtney Jaye, the release of her debut album Traveling Light is the culmination of a long journey. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Jaye spent most of her youth in Atlanta, GA. Courtney was inspired to write her first song after friend’s death while in high school. After graduating, Jaye's travels began, taking her to Arizona, Hawaii, back to Georgia, and finally to Los Angeles, where she broke through and recieved a record contract.
1. Lose My Head - The CD starts with a mid-tempo beat which almost sounds a bit countryish. It will get you to nod you head a bit. Courtney is vocally reminiscent of Mindy Smith, at least on this song.
2. Can't Behave - Taveling Light's lead single, Can't Behave is an upbeat song that makes you want to get up and dance. For some reason it screams to me "Sheryl Crow song," kind of in the mold of "Soak Up The Sun" music-wise. Good hook, solid lyrically. A fun song.
3. Permanent - An upbeat rock sounding track. The song has a nice melody, another song to get you moving. Lyrically the song is good, but when it comes across vocally it feels a little strange in some places, but overall a very strong song. The musical arrangement of the chorus is nice.
4. Mental - A slower acoustic guitar/keys song. One of the best songs on the album, hands down. Great song vocally and lyrically.
5. Time For Goodbye - This song has a mid-tempo folk beat. It is pretty interesting, it sounds cool. A nice song vocally and lyrically.
6. Somersault - This is a slower guitar driven piece, where the vocals are allowed to truly shine. Good lyrics are the best asset to this song since the vocals play a large role in carrying the song. This is a very appealing song to listeners who like AC music.
7. Traveling Light - The first thing you'll notice about this song is it has a jazzy folk feel to it. It is a relaxing song that will still have you swaying along with it.
8. Hanalei Road (Lorelei's Song) - A hybrid guitar pop song, Hanalei Road is appealing musically and features an appearance by Taj Mahal on the second verse. It is an interesting song lyrically, but is definitely carried by the infectious vibe of the music.
9. Can You Sleep - This song is a slower guitar/piano song. The vocals are allowed to shine on this song, as they do on Somersault. This song isn't as strong vocally as Somersault, but it is probably stronger lyrically, so it is a good tradeoff.
10. Love Song For Everyone - Love Song For Everyone uses an upbeat mid-tempo beat that just kind of makes you feel loose and happy. This isn't the greatest song, but it is fun and easy to sing along to.
11. This Is The Day - We now trend back to a more AC type beat. This song sounds like most female fronted pop songs you'd hear on your local AC or Hot AC station if you turned it on. Vocally and lyrically the song is good.
12. Love Me - The CD closes with a mid-tempo track that is just kind of even keeled and leaves the listener feeling good and content. The vocals and lyrics are alright, but you can just kind of sail away with the beat, because it feels like something you'd hear if you closed your eyes and imagined yourself on a tropical island.
Overall Impression
You can definitely tell that Jaye has gained a wealth of life experience judging by her lyrics. The CD musically offers a nice balance of slower AC tunes mixed in with some tunes that will get you to bob your head and move around. A very solid debut CD. For more information on Courtney Jaye, you can visit www.courtneyjaye.com.
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