Eye to the Telescope [UK]

A runaway success in the U.K., EYE TO THE TELESCOPE, KT Tunstall's debut, finally hit the States in early 2006, a year after its initial release. On this assured 12-song set, the Scottish singer/songwriter mines a charmingly sensitive and intelligent vein of pop/rock that positions her somewhere in between Beth Orton and Sheryl Crow. The key to Tunstall's sound is her resonant and soulful voice, and the album's bold but never over-the-top production only serves to further enhance her songs. Though the highlights of the disc include the jangly "Another Place to Fall," the eminently catchy "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree," and the shuffling "Suddenly I See," the entire record is surprisingly solid, easily ensuring a bright future for Tunstall.