Natasha Bedingfield

A Pocket Full of Sunshine

Released by Epic Records

Stater rating (out of five): **

Pocket Full of Sunshine, Natasha Bedingfield’s third album, is a strong follow up to Unwritten (2005), her first U.S. release. While the songs are catchy, the album seems to be stuck in two modes: love ballad or upbeat pop song.

Bedingfield does not seem to grow as an artist and plays it safe with most of the songs on the album. She seems to stick to the style of pop music heard on Unwritten.

The first single off the album, “Love Like This,” features artist Sean Kingston. This song falls into the love ballad category. While its heartfelt lyrics will touch some listeners, it is not Bedingfield’s best vocal performance on the album. Her voice sounds over-digitized at times. It also seems to crack at a few points during the song.

“Pocket Full of Sunshine,” the album’s title track, is one of its best songs. The song’s lyrics of, “I got a pocket, got a pocket full of sunshine/ I got a love and I know that it’s all mine,” will stick in listeners’ minds. Bedingfield also showcases her voice in this song without any vocal accompaniment.

Another strong song on the album is “Put Your Arms Around Me.” It’s another catchy pop song and is sure to put listeners in a good mood. The only weakness this song has is that Bedingfield’s background vocals seem to take away from the melody of the song at times.

The song “Freckles” is also a good song. Its changes in rhythms make the song interesting. Its message of accepting oneself is one listeners can appreciate.

“Pirate Bones” is one of the weaker songs on the album. Bedingfield’s voice seems strained at points during the song. The lyrics to the song also do not seem to make a whole lot of sense.

Bedingfield ends the album on a strong point with “Not Givin’ Up.” In a departure from other songs on the album, she raps the chorus of the song. The flow of lyrics works with the upbeat tempo of the song.

Pocket Full of Sunshine lacks variety, which may bore some listeners. Its catchy lyrics and rhythms will still work their way into the heads of some listeners. People who like pop music or are looking for an album to put them in a good mood will enjoy it.

Contact all reporter Kristen Kotz at [email protected].