You can hear it all on A Mouthful. Jazz, indie rock, hip hop, folk, pop, whatever. It's all on here with Olivia Merilahti's odd but sweet sounding voice. I read some quotes from reviews and critics compared her voice to Bjork's and Eminem's. How the fuck does that make any sense? Well you have tracks like "Searching Gold" and perhaps "On My Shoulders" which I could see having the Bjork aesthetic, but the latter reference is much less audible except on "Queen Dot Kong," the track that made me go out and get this album. Here Merilahti essentially raps while accompanied by brass. It's refreshing, different, and interesting to hear. Something you can't say for most pop music these days.
The more standard tracks like reggae-influenced "At Last," "On My Shoulders," and the bouncy "Tammie" are all great as well. The folk break "Unisassi Laulelet" is decent if just for the break it provides in the middle of A Mouthful. There are some more predictable tracks like the girl-rock "Stay (Just a Little Bit More)" and the melancholic "Song For Lovers" which are a bit of a letdown, but overall the album is pretty enjoyable. Both Merilahti and Dan Levy utilize a plethora of instruments and the production accentuates each very well. Although it's not the most deep listen in the world, A Mouthful is definitely worth a try. There's bound to be something that you can enjoy on an album as eclectic as this.
7.75 out of 10
Tracklisting:
1. Playground Hustle
2. At Last
3. On My Shoulders
4. Song For Lovers
5. The Bridge Is Broken
6. Stay (Just a Little Bit More)
7. Unisassi Laulelet
8. Tammie
9. Queen Dot Kong
10. Coda
11. Searching Gold
12. When was I Last Home
13. Travel Light
14. Aha
15. In My Box
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