Vitamin C Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
Vitamin C's first album was pitched directly at junior-high and high-school kids, to the point that its breakthrough single, "Graduation (Friends Forever)," was pumped full of yearbook clichés. Perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that she wanted to spice up her image with her second album, More, adding a little more sex and sophistication -- two things that are only appropriate for a singer closing in on 30. While the title implies this is another ride on the teen pop merry-go-round, More winds up having more style and substance than its predecessor. Vitamin C isn't afraid to be either slyly witty or to celebrate her new wave roots, not just on the cover of the Waitresses' "I Know What Boys Like," but in the general frothy, synthesized approach of the entire album (highlighted by the near-robotic vocals on "She Talks About Love"). Much of this music is lightweight, but deliberately so, and, at its best, such as "Dangerous Girl," its bright, shiny attitude is utterly giddy. Vitamin C isn't content on making effervescent, featherweight pop singles; she wants to sex it up a bit, vamping on occasion (such as on the lead single, "The Itch"), and, with "Sex Has Come Between Us," she gives into a platonic friendship turned romantic (unlike Britney, who just teased on "Oops! I Did It Again"). There's no mistaking this for anything other than a dance-pop record, yet it's made by an artist that is (thankfully) a little too old for teen pop. She's in on the joke, playing with the conventions, adding a touch more wit, both in the music and lyrics, as well as more classicist pop songcraft. That doesn't mean that this is as purely pop as Fountains of Wayne, but it's easy to see this becoming a guilty pleasure for that group's fans. And they may even wind up embracing its knowing approach to teen pop more than teens themselves. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Vitamin C is the nom de plume for singer Colleen Fitzpatrick, who fronted Eve's Plum for two very good, and overlooked, albums released by 550 Music in the mid-'90s. Here she steps out on her own for a self-titled solo debut that is every bit as engaging as those two releases and more so. The album shows a wider range stylistically from Fitzpatrick than she did with her former band, and the result is a stunning collection that mixes pop, alternative, and dance music. Jamaican dancehall diva Lady Saw guests on the single "Smile," which fuses dancehall and alt-pop to good effect on the opening track. There is no shortage of hooks on Vitamin C. "Turn Me On" is raucous pop with quiet spoken passages and a neat lyrical twist, and "Me, Myself and I" cops the vibe of War's "Lowrider." Fitzpatrick adopts a breathy delivery over electronic bursts and a hammering drumbeat on "Not that Kind of Girl." She gets funky on "Do What You Want to Do" and explores role reversal on the electro-pop of "Girls Against the Boys." And just when it seems that she can't pull one more hook from her bag of tricks, Fitzpatrick delivers the provocatively playful "About Last Night" and the nostalgic, string-laced "Graduation (Friends Forever)." She even takes an admirable stab at the Split Enz classic "I Got You." There's not a weak track on this stellar record. ~ Tom Demalon, All Music Guide
