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Power To The People

Ok, who says the internet is all bad? There is some good out there on the web - honest, unfortunately you have to clear the junk away first and then you discover some real gems. If it wasn't for the internet then we would be without Sandi Thom.

Sandi Thom is that girl that webcast from her basement in Tooting to thousands of people across the globe now releases her debut album 'Smile.......It Confuses People'. Too broke to go on the road, 24 year old singer/songwriter Sandi Thom decided to set up a webcam in her South London flat and staged a three week world tour from the basement. She spread the word about the '21 Nights from Tooting' tour via Myspace.com and her own site, inviting fans to watch the tour live on the web or in person at the very modest underground venue of her basement. Pulling in an audience of 70 on the first night, news of the gigs spread like wildfire on the internet and by the end of the 'tour' she had 100,000 web viewers from as far afield as Russia, the USA and Pakistan.

Sandi Thom's musical influences are spread throughout the album, it is a swirling mix of folk, indie and soul, bringing black and white music together. She is very much in the style of KT Tunstall, but with a far more relaxed style of music. But there is no doubting Sandi Thom's wonderful talent. The album is a melodic swirling mix of acoustic melodies with songs with some real meaning.

There are so many highlights on this album I could list them all but would need the entire net to do it. The lead single off the album 'I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker', where she comes out that she was 'born too late', may be to be a 70s punk, but thank god you were born when you were - bringing your beautiful music with you.

'Time' is questioning about the world about us and rat race that we all live in, and that really life is competing with the clock. 'Little Remedy' throws down the gauntlet to a potential lover, where as 'What If I Am Right?' questions the potential gains and losses in any new relationship. Whereas 'Lonely Girl' is a typical folk style song, as it is an ode to the lost and abandoned.

It is hard to believe that this is only a debut album, as the music is so mature for one so young. This is a fantastic melodic album, with tracks that you can get lost in. People Power has brought you Sandi Thom, certainly better than anyone you would find on X Factor. The debut album of the year!

Tootings other famous resident, Wolfy Smith must be quite jealous of his neighbour, as she really has shown what people power is about. Certainly brought her to the attention of RCA. Power To The People!