Review: Colbie Caillat – All of You

In 2007, Colbie Caillat peeked into the music scene with “Bubbly,” an infectious blend of gentle acoustic guitar and lovestruck lyrics; this week we see her third album released, All Of You — and she is still going strong with her bubbly-blend for success. When asked about her inspirations for this album, Caillat revealed that most of it was rooted deeply in her blossoming romance with her friend and bandmate Justin Young.

The first single from the album is “I Do” jumps headfirst into the vivacious happiness of falling in love. Her inspiration for this track came from finding that person who makes you feel like you’re ready for that next big step, marriage, and being unafraid to take that step. The percussion really helps set the mood with a sidewalk-skipping beat. Colbie’s lyrics are complimented with light guitar and playful piano, only serving to brighten the mood.

The opening track, “Brighter Than The Sun,” also stands out as effervescent, with upbeat guitar and claps for percussion. Once more, we see lyrics reflecting the tumble into love: “Boy, we go together like peanuts and Paydays/ Marley and Reggae/ And everybody needs to get a chance to say/ Oh, this is how it starts/ Lightning strikes the heart/ It goes off like a gun/ Brighter than the sun.’” It’s damn near impossible to stay in a sour mood while listening to this album.

“Dream Life, Life” continues the cloud nine spirit by taking a look into the hopes and dreams we have for our lives — and wanting to make them the reality. Despite the title of the song, Colbie remains realistic about her wishes, and lets us know: “There’s no more wasting time on what I think I’m supposed to do/ My clock is standing still so I can have my dream life/ Life with the ones I love playin’ all day long/ Laying back by the water side with nowhere to go and the music on/ I’m working hard for my dream life to be my real life, and that can’t be wrong/ All I have is this life, so I’m makin’ it what I want!” While we don’t hear the claps and snaps with the percussion for this track, it certainly keeps to the pop beat and uplifting spirit.

Next up in this animated album are “What If” (a track featured in the movie Letters To Juliet) and a duet with Common entitled “Favorite Song.” Both stray from Caillat’s usual sound; the former replaces acoustic guitar with electric and the latter is a hip-hop jam. Of the two, “Favorite Song” stands out the most — with an absolutely infectious melody and hook, this is the track that will have you dancing nonstop, and it might get stuck in your head for a long while.

The title track, “All Of You,” preaches accepting everything about your lover — the good, the bad, the deep secrets. This is perhaps one of the less upbeat tracks on the album, featuring a mellow guitar line and lyrics that begin almost like an apology. And finally, “What Means The Most” comes up as the most mellow musically. Many of the little things that make being in love so pleasant are mentioned within this track, a memoir of the little moments that brighten up each day and the peace of mind that comes just from being with a loved one. As a whole, All Of You maintains Colbie’s effervescent musical style while its lyrics discuss the headfirst tumble into love. She’s still bubbly.