[michelej1]

In the liner notes Stevie and Lindsey talked about Oh Daddy being a departure for Christine because she was rarely lonely or eerie in her songs.

I disagree. She might not have been eerie (that's why BTM is such a delightful surprise, because it's so unusual, as is Heart of Stone), but the truth is, to me her songs are not often sunny and bright. YMLF and Don't Stop are exceptions, not the rule.

Even in songs that have an upbeat sound, the words convey loss (SYLM). Many of her songs sound yearning, mournful. Yes, there's a lonely strain in Oh Daddy, but also in Why. Even when her songs talk about love that hasn't flown are a little pensive. She remembers the glorious nights in Estoril, but she also knows there is a coming storm. There's foreboding there. Or you have songs like Love in Store which don't contain foreboding, but seem more concentrated on not losing the love than in reveling in its exhilaration. There's an anxious, sad tone underlying things.

Don't Stop may be her most famous song, but things aren't happy, happy in her tunes. There's a mood underneath them that's always somber and thoughtful and, a bit fearful of getting hurt. I think that's largely due to the tone matching her keyboard stylings. When they get intricate, the song message tends to get a little more intense and complex than it would seem on the surface.

Michele