Haley Reinhart: Listen Up! (Deluxe)

5/23/2012

Album review.
Likes: Undone, Free, Now That You’re Here
Overall: LOVE IT. If Amy Winehouse released a pop album, this is what it would sound like.

So I love this album. If you’re unfamiliar with Haley Reinhart or didn’t pay her much attention during season 10 of “American Idol,” you might want to check her out now. Her debut “Listen Up!” is the perfect blend of contemporary music (minus techno, refreshingly) and a little bit of 60’s soul. Fun and a chunk funky with well-composed lyrics, this is one of the first 2012 albums that I thoroughly enjoyed. Vocally, Reinhart has a distinctive, unique tone, but her voice is debatably thin with a limited range. However, the vocals are solid enough to where it’s not a distracting shortcoming. As co-writer on all but 2 songs, 21-year-old Reinhart presents an even lyrical balance between a mature (ex. “Liar”) and innocent (ex. “Let’s Run Away”) feel. I was really impressed with some of the lyrical content; it’s a tinge grittier than expected and takes an approach to relationships that’s not typically heard (ex. “Free”). Hayley wants us to “Listen Up”? She’s got my attention.

14 Comments

Miguel

5/23/2012 12:59:58 pm

Nice review. I don't agree with the comment about her voice though. Haley shares co-writing credit on every songs except "Free" (13 of 14 if you include the 4 on the deluxe version).

Mikanna

5/23/2012 08:32:09 pm

Lovely review! I agree with Miguel, Haley's voice is definitely not 'thin' in my opinion, although I understand how you could gather that from the fairly mid-tempo tracks. Try watching her performances of "You Oughta Know", "House of the Rising Sun" and "I Who Have Nothing" on Idol to really see her range and vocal chops.

Buzzenator

5/23/2012 11:15:50 pm

Yes, very nice review. Someone did a vocal range assessment of Haley from her Idol performances. It turned out that she was 2nd only to Kelly Clarkson in comparison of range for all Idol alums, and only by a very thin margin. As one of her musical instructors stated, "She can make the hair on the back of your neck stand up".

Roz

5/24/2012 09:16:34 am

Nice review, didn't appreciate the lack of knowledge or experience re Haley's voice. We know she can belt them out with the best of them & her range is amazing. Reviewer should have done some research. Thanks for having Haley's back with the truth. Listen Up is an amazing album. I can't stop playing it.

Gab

5/24/2012 09:25:45 am

Fix her name at the ''Tags/Categories'' thing. It's Haley not Hayley.

Kelly

5/24/2012 11:50:39 am

Ok guys, she said that Haley's voice is DEBATABLY thin. Meaning, that one could make an argument for either way. Plus, she DID compliment her tone. You guys act like she slammed her. Haley has a great voice, but she does have some downsides. Let's be a little more objective. You guys are making it clear that your fans who don't see anything wrong with her.

Leelo

5/24/2012 10:58:55 pm

I would also argue against calling Haley Reinhart's voice thin and of a limited range. However, in a music mainstream where big pop ballad belters like Mariah Carey, Whitney Huston, the more contemporary Christina Aguilera and Idol's own Jennifer Hudson are held up as the example of what a top notch female vocal should sound like, I can easily see how a stylistically much more subtle, richly textured vocal that draws its influence rather from jazz and blues would get assigned epithets like "thin". Still, you obviously enjoyed the album, so if Haley did not win you over as a singer, she won you over as a music artist. :)

CharlieChops

5/25/2012 11:24:36 am

Oh my, this Haley Reinhart sure has an intense following. But calm down Haliens, for there are many, like myself, who stumbled across this descriptive review about your godess while simply surfing for some new music. I would not have given "Listen Up!" or Haley Reinhart a listen were it not for this post. And now I have my favorite new album in 20 years. Thank you for the review J.Says!

JSaysOnline

5/27/2012 06:46:01 am

Thank you, Charlie! I'm glad the review was useful to you and led you to some new music! :) It's a wonderful compliment. I know Haley's fans didn't care for my comments on her vocal ability, but I feel I complimented her more than I criticized.

Alan link

6/20/2012 04:33:23 am

I have been requesting KCSN and KCRW in Southern California to play “Listen Up” but to no avail. I have yet to hear Ryan Seacrest play one track on 102.7 FM. It’s as if the zombies have taken over the radio, and they keep playing the same mind numbing songs over and over again. Haley Reinhart has produced the freshest sounding CD in a long time. In terms of musical consistency, I am reminded of singer- songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens, Elton John and Chicago, where one song after another is a treat.
Most new CD’s are not even on this level anymore. Think Chicago 7, Gaucho by Steely Dan, Madman Across the Water. Some of her melodies I cannot get out of my head, they are that infectious. So join her fan club, spread the word, keep the faith, and show up when she’s performing, because Haley Reinhart has got to stick around, for us baby boomers and our kids.

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7/17/2012 02:08:32 pm

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3/31/2013 08:38:06 pm

Howdy! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are you using for this site? I'm getting fed up of Wordpress because I've had issues with hackers and I'm looking at alternatives for another platform. I would be awesome if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.

J.Says

4/3/2013 07:02:12 am

Hello, I'd be happy to help; Please shoot me an email at JSaysOnline@live.com, so I'll have your email address and we can discuss it further. :)

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7/18/2020 12:17:54 am

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Haley Reinhart: Listen Up! (Deluxe)

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