Released 10 years ago
Tightrope Walker
Rachael Yamagata · 2016
51 min · 11 tracks · rhythm and blues
A blend of soulful melodies and introspective lyrics, weaving through themes of vulnerability and resilience.
Top tracks — play these first
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Tightrope Walker — The title track encapsulates the album's thematic essence, exploring balance amidst life's challenges through haunting melodies and poignant lyrics.
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Nobody — This track stands out for its raw vulnerability, featuring Yamagata's emotive vocal delivery that conveys a sense of isolation and yearning.
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Let Me Be Your Girl — With its catchy chorus and upbeat tempo, this song juxtaposes light-heartedness with deeper themes of love and longing, showcasing Yamagata's lyrical dexterity.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album showcases strong songwriting and cohesive pacing, with moments of distinct vocal interplay.
What we noticed
- The album opens with a title track that features a slow build, layering instrumentation gradually before reaching a fuller sound.
- Several tracks incorporate call-and-response vocal patterns, creating an engaging dialogue between the lead and backing vocals.
- The last three tracks feature a noticeable drop in tempo, allowing for a reflective conclusion to the album's themes.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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6/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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8/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- steady mid-tempo reflective moments
- soulful melodies for introspection
- vulnerability in every lyric
- for quiet evenings
Maybe skip if you
- seekers of upbeat tempos
- prefer standalone hit tracks
Where this album fits
- Career context
- By the time Rachael Yamagata released Tightrope Walker in 2016, she was in a period of artistic exploration following her previous album, Chesapeake (2011). This album marks her return after a five-year hiatus, showcasing her evolution as a songwriter and musician while maintaining her distinctive sound.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Norah Jones· Sara Bareilles· Fiona Apple
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Tightrope Walker 5:43
- 2 Nobody 4:53
- 3 EZ Target 4:01
- 4 Over 4:13
- 5 Let Me Be Your Girl 4:49
- 6 Break Apart 4:59
- 7 I'm Going Back 5:58
- 8 Rainsong 4:41
- 9 Worthless 5:07
- 10 Black Sheep 3:39
- 11 Money Fame Thunder 3:50
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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