By Stacy Cruz
Staff Writer
Christina Perri may be one of the youngest singers in the music scene, but her second album, “Head or Heart,” defines her as one of the best.
Perri’s new album is what most fans would expect of the artist: a collection of soft, emotional songs that tug at the heartstrings. Despite this same predictable style, “Head or Heart” is a quality album for Perri thanks to soft vocals, intimate lyrics and Perri’s distinctive collaboration with Ed Sheeran.
Perri gained her fame with her 2010 summer piano ballad, “Jar of Hearts,” which was first used on an episode of “So You Think You Can Dance.” After the episode, “Jar of Hearts” became a hit, and Perri released the song independently.
By the following February, “Jar of Hearts” reached platinum status, and Perri finished her debut album, “Lovestrong.” Since then, Perri recorded a holiday album in 2012 and a couple of successful singles used in the “Twilight Saga” soundtracks, like the romantic hit “A Thousand Years.”
“Head or Heart” successfully accentuates Perri’s smooth voice with simple instrumentals. When Perri’s vocals take on louder and longer notes, the beat of the drums increases to match it. This makes for a complementary rhythm throughout the songs that does not overwhelm listeners.
Paired with her gentle voice, Perri’s lyrics are always intimate and profound. Many of her songs from the new album are about heartache, loss and love, which are recurring themes in her work. These topics complement Perri’s voice and keep the album on a specific theme, making the piece all the more cohesive.
The single from the album, “Human,” is presently one of Perri’s most popular songs, and rightfully so. “Human” strays from Perri’s usual theme of love, highlighting human struggles and flaws. This makes the song powerful and a surprisingly deep single for the album.
Another song that stands out is “Be My Forever,” which features fellow singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. The song features soft, light instrumentals to accompany the duo’s vocal prowess, making the track catchy and enthusiastic. Both artists have soft, lovely voices that compliment each other well for the spirited love duet.
While certain songs are upbeat in tone, like “Be My Forever,” others take on a much slower tempo. The first song of the album, “Trust,” takes on a very gradual and depressing sound, which is paired with slow, overly loud vocals. The lyrics are also darker than most of the other songs on the album. Instead of adding more depth to it, as Perri most likely intended, it only proves to be regrettably depressing.
Despite this overly dark material in “Head or Heart,” skilled vocals and cohesive instrumentals make Perri’s second album an overall success.
“Head or Heart” was released on April 1 and sells for $9.99 on iTunes.
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