Music Review: Pocketful of Sunshine
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this is an upbeat, uplifting, and
completely clean album from the singer/songwriter who
introduced us to the song "Unwritten," a catchy anthem about
the world being an open book and the theme song for the popular
MTV reality show
The Hills). Not only is there nothing objectionable in
these tracks, but there are some strong, positive messages
about remaining true to oneself. Both Wal-Mart and iTunes offer
bonus tracks online.
Families can talk about how it's normal for all people to be
self-conscious of the way they look. Does it become easier with
age to accept yourself and your imperfections? Why or why not?
Can you imagine yourself or your friends without certain
characteristics like freckles? How do those characteristics
give them personality?
There are a lot of encouraging words among the playful pop songs on POCKETFUL OF SUNSHINE. In the title song, for instance, Bedingfield sings about having a secret reserve of positivity where "sticks and stones are never gonna shake me." That positivity permeates the lyrics throughout the album, whether she's singing about seeking a soul mate, growing up, or accepting imperfections.
As always, Bedingfield's vocals are crisp, clear and strong, but she takes a decidedly more danceable turn on this album, infusing her pop sensibilities with some hip-hop flair. The result is a collection of infectious songs with refreshingly clean lyrics that alternately get you moving and make you think. The first single off the album, "Love Like This," is a sweet collaboration with modern reggae star Sean Kingston about love and how it wonderful it can be ("You're the only one that knows me/love it when you hold me/never find a love like this") -- and will definitely keep you swaying and smiling.
KT TunstallRaven-Symone
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