Traveling Light Reviews



Amazon.com Customer Reviews

A Brilliant Debut Album, From A Brilliant Singer/Songwriter! - Review written on August 03, 2006
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Rating: 5 out of 5
5 customers found this review helpful.

Don't let a few bad reviews fool you! This is easily one of the best albums out there! There's not a bad song in the bunch! And Courtney Jaye is easily one of best and most original singer/songwriters around also! And she's worked with some of the best in the business to create this musical masterpiece! This is nothing like the average pop music you hear, It has more of a hawaiian sound on some songs, I noticed that the first time i heard it! She calls it rootsy/exotic/alt/pop on her myspace page! That's one of the things i like most about the album! Plus the songs are all so fun, catchy, and dreamy, and she has such a great singing voice, i just can't get enough of it! And there's something for everyone to like! I really love all of the songs so much! But if i had to pick any favorites probably" Time For Goodbye" "This Is The Day" "Love me" and "Hanalei Road" to name a few! So please buy this album and listen to the whole thing, with an open mind, and listen more than once! If you're anything like me and really like great music that's different than the usual dull boring music you're used to hearing, I know you'll love it as much as i do! Courtney Jaye is one very talented artist that has real staying power! She's already finished her next album so that's proof of that! And from what i've heard of it, it's great also! I know she certainly has a life long fan in me!
Quite nice - Review written on June 15, 2006
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Rating: 4 out of 5
3 customers found this review helpful.

20 something Courtney Jaye has a soulfull voice and her songs are more folksy than pop. To me, she sounds like a mix between Carrie Underwood and Norah Jones - with a little bit of Sheryl Crow mixed in. Her music will probably appeal more to older listeners, but some catchy tunes like 'Cant Behave' and 'Mental' will surely appeal to younger listeners as well.

The best songs on the album include 'Cant Behave', 'Lose My Head', 'Can You Sleep' and 'Mental'. This album has something for everyone. It's calming and fun at the same time.

Courtney Jaye is surley a great new artist and i cant wait for the next album.
Courtney Jaye's Top Work So Far - Review written on March 28, 2006
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Rating: 5 out of 5
6 customers found this review helpful, 1 did not.

Traveling light is Courtney Jaye's best album so far. Her unique soft rock sound is really made evident on this CD. It was produced by Gal (Gala) Asher an excellent choice. With a mix of uptempos and smooth ballads, Courtney Jaye easily tops her previous albums.
Great voice, mediocre songs - Review written on March 25, 2006
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Rating: 4 out of 5
4 customers found this review helpful, 4 did not.

The CD was listed at a great price, so I decided to check it out. Her voice is good, and she has a somewhat unique vocal style. She has a happy and sweet sound that's very pleasant to hear. However, the songwriting definitely is not top notch. The music is fine, but the lyrics often are pretty corny. It's almost frustrating at times to hear such a charming voice singing those words. An example of that is Somersault. I literally almost swoon from her vocals, but then I hear lyrics such as the chorus ("In a somersault you never know where you are") and I find myself unsatisfied. The best analogy I can make is falling hard for someone yet eventually accepting that conversations with her just are not stimulating. If she improves this aspect of her music in future albums, I could very easily see her becoming one of my favorite musicians.
Is it me..? - Review written on October 18, 2005
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Rating: 1 out of 5
13 customers found this review helpful, 10 did not.

I bought this album because I am always interested in finding great new artists and music. I love Sarah McLachlan, Emm Gryner, Indigo Girls, Jem-- things along that line. So I thought I would love Courtney Jaye. But I just can't. I think it's terribly simplistic, predictable and unimaginable. I like her voice, but combined with the simple lyrics, unoriginal themes and repetitive tunes, I just have to turn her off after a couple songs. I tried to be open-minded (I even like some Kelly Clarkson and Natalie Imbruglia songs) but I don't hear the talent.
Arrival... - Review written on June 22, 2005
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Rating: 5 out of 5
13 customers found this review helpful.

There was a time not too long ago that relevant and influential female singer songwriters were very successful at commercial radio - Sheryl Crowe, Traci Chapman, Indigo Girls, Sarah McLachlan, Melissa Ethridge and Shawn Colvin come to mind. Their prominence was symbolized by the success of the Lilith Fair tours in the late 90's. Then the industry turned to male hard rock bands and young female pop performers (Britney, Christina, etc. etc.) Now, it seems the sun is shining on a new generation of female singer songwriters (perhaps because of the success of John Mayer and Jason Mraz, the male counter parts). Courtney Jaye's "Travelling Light" is a great example. Courtney has an amazing voice and a collection of highly intriguing songs that merge lyrics with a distinct point of view with music full of evolved melodies and killer pop hooks.

"Can't Behave" is an upbeat, hand clapping, rant about a boyfriend who is not quite worth the trouble (a theme throughout the record). Co-written with Gary Louris of the Jayhawks, it sounds like a modern mix of Steeler's Wheel and early Sheryl Crowe. "Lose My Head", the opening track, is a signer songwriter working the Kelly Clarkson vein of pop --the chorus is reminiscent of vintage 60's girl group melodies and harmonies - the emotional pay off is undeniable. "Permanent" is a moving song about a failing relationship, the doubts about the permanence of love that ensue and the realization that change is the only constant. The recording is an acoustic rock blockbuster with a guitar lead that rips at the emotional threads of the song in a manner reminiscent of John Lennon in his Plastic Ono phase. "Mental" is a beautiful ballad about self realization - namely that an idealic relationship comes a cost: ones identity can be lost in the bliss. The last song on the album, "Love Me" co-written with Matthew Sweet, is an affirmation of love, despite the turmoil chronicled throughout the album. "I ride every wave, and I won't look to the shore, if you love me." One gets the sense that Courtney Jaye has arrived and is not going away.
Nice... - Review written on June 14, 2005
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Rating: 4 out of 5
7 customers found this review helpful, 6 did not.

She has a beautiful voice,her songs are nice,but that's it,nothing very trenscendant on the CD exept for one gorgeous love song,can you sleep,which i heard on the ONE TREE HILL season 2 final (i admit,it's the reason why i bought the album).Anyway it's a mix of nathalie imbruglia with a little michelle branch on it but the tone is very folk/country.It's nice but not revolutionary,i sujest this to the chicks folk/pop singer's fans,for the others,listen to each tracks very carefully before deciding to buy it.
A Nice Suprise - Review written on June 11, 2005
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Rating: 5 out of 5
30 customers found this review helpful, 1 did not.

The morning before I went on vacation I was flipping through the Best Buy flyer from the Sunday paper and Courtney's album caught my eye. I'd never actually heard of her before but I decided to remember her name and look it up online when I returned. 4 days later I did just that. I think I listened to about 20 seconds of one of her songs and I knew immediatly that I had to have this album. I went out and bought it today and I haven't been disappointed. Though I've only listened to this CD about 3 times I'll do my best to pick fave songs. I really love the first single "Can't Behave". I also really like "Permanent", "Time for Goodbye" and "This is the Day" which is my fave off the album thus far. I love all of the songs though. I reccomend this album to people who like Anna Nalick and Michelle Branch. Don't waste your time. Buy this CD now. Who knows. "Tomorrow could be taken away" (This is the Day).
Buy it now! - Review written on June 10, 2005
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Rating: 5 out of 5
8 customers found this review helpful, 2 did not.

She is one of the most original voices in pop music right now. The album is sublime and beautiful. "Hanalei Road" will go down as one of my all time favorite songs.
Hoping for so much more... - Review written on June 10, 2005
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Rating: 2 out of 5
3 customers found this review helpful, 10 did not.

So, I had never heard of Courtney Jaye or heard any of her music at all until I came across it on Amazon. I listened to the samples of all the songs and I thought they all sounded pretty good so I decided to buy the album. Turns out there are only 6 songs of the 11 that are worth listening to. Thats half of the album which, to me, doesn't make this a "great" album already. And I was really expecting so much more.
"Permanent" is definately my favorite, its just overall a great song. Its catchy and it has a great hook. It will definately get stuck in your head.
"Lose My Head" is probably my second favorite but there are still problems with it. The songwriting really isn't that great at all and it just makes me feel awkward when I hear it because I just want to change so much of it to make it the song that I know it could be.
"Mental", "Somersault", "Traveling Light" and "Can You Sleep" are all really great songs as well. The others...ehh, they just aren't that great, so many of them just sound the same and seem to stumble on themselves and a lot of them just seem to go nowhere and leave you thinking "What did I just listen to?". She really doesn't have the strongest voice either, she really seems to be struggling at times.
Anyway, I think its worth the 10 bucks for the 6 songs I mentioned, I was lucky and got it for 5 bucks elsewhere so...pay as little as you can because I think most will be expecting one thing and getting something completely different.
a typical album - Review written on June 08, 2005
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Rating: 3 out of 5
1 customer found this review helpful, 13 did not.

I rate the CD with 3 stars because it doesn't give me surprise.
I can tell all the rest of the songs in the CD by listening the first 2 tracks. The music & recording are good, the singing is also beautiful, only the style is..... 70's...

If you're over 40, you'll love it.....
Finally, her talent has been discovered. - Review written on June 07, 2005
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Rating: 5 out of 5
8 customers found this review helpful, 1 did not.

I've known Courtney on somewhat of a personal level ever since she was a waitress at Smith's Olde Bar here in Atlanta. She would perform in the open mic competitions and always did extremely well. I would always go to see her performances, because...well...face it...she's hot, and she can sing...WELL. And I had always wondered why no one in the biz had caught on to her before. Then she gets a meeting with L.A. Reid. He's so impressed that he offers her a deal on the spot. Now...to the record. Now, I'm not usually one for chicky alt-country-poppy music, but I do like this album. Very easy to listen to, even for someone like me who prefers heavier, guitar-driven rock & roll. "Can't Behave" is an obvious hit. It's easy to HEAR why the female audience will like her, and it's easy to HEAR (sexy voice) and SEE (the obvious) why the male audience will as well. She's doing this the right way, and L.A. Reid is behind her 100%, so expect big things from Ms. Jaye.