Search - Laura Branigan :: Branigan 2

Branigan 2--The Return of Gloria...I mean Laura

Daniel J. Hamlow | Narita, Japan | 04/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Laura Branigan really honed her style in her sophomore effort, which firmly established her in the ranks of 80's pop/rock women like Pat Benatar and Sheena Easton. Chalk up another winner for one of the 1980's best pop/rock goddesses.Branigan 2-the Sequel, begins with the single "Solitaire" on a woman who's alone now after a bad relationship and it falls under reflective/breakup song. "Solitaire, it got so lonely/Solitaire, no one to hold me/Where were you when I played solitaire?" The melody reminds me of Sheena Easton's "Long Distance Love Affair" and has the same pace, although it rocks as hard as any of Benatar's material. A big highlight here! Getting this is not akin to playing poker--you'll hit the jackpot anytime."Deep In The Dark" features a monologue and is a forerunner to "Self Control" is rhythm and the chorus."Close Enough" is actually a positive love song that Journey could have tried to do, given the searing keyboard synthesizers. However, it's Laura's song hands down. She sings "Close enough to make it last/Now there's no turning back/We'll do it together." And to finalize the moment, she says, "And now, now the time has come/To keep the love we found just close enough.""Lucky" tells of the woman's necessity to leave someone unfulfilling who was oblivious to her pain. The chorus and keyboards are akin to a muted version of "Gloria." It goes "Lucky, I said I hope you try and understand/Lucky, guess it's not like we planned/Lucky, you know I really really love you so/But Lucky, I still have to go." This could easily become a country song, given the right singer.Then comes her cover of the Who's "Squeeze Box," tastefully done in the mid-paced Branigan style pop. And now, to set the record straight, comes a lovely song that may have been a hit for Michael Bolton but was covered beforehand by Laura-"How Am I Supposed To Live Without You." She's got the better voice too. The ultimate Branigan heartbreak song is right here-"Tell me how am I supposed to live without you/Now that I've been lovin' you so long/How am I supposed to live without you/And how am I supposed to carry on/When all that I've been livin' for is gone." Good going, Laura!"I'm Not The Only One" is a dance number akin to Self Control's "Satisfaction." "Mama" is a daughter-to-mother letter proving the daughter right, that yes, she did become a bad girl, but the guy she fell for made it worth it and they're still together.The narrator in the soaring pop ballad "Find Me" displays a great vulnerability and emotion, wanting the shelter of someone's arms. That's the opposite case in the fierce, bitter rocker "Don't Show Your Love," extolling loneliness and freedom. A key lyric spells it out: "Loneliness lives out in the world/People afraid to give/Better off free, out on your own/Living your life alone." She's definitely talking about the capitalist 80's, where people loved money."No, she did not call her next album Branigan 3, because she had Self Control-sorry, I couldn't resist."

The Emotional Side of Laura Branigan

Daniel J. Hamlow | 09/09/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After purchasing The Best of Branigan and Self Control, I definitely wanted more. I found this album and I was not disappointed. The songs are excellent and very emotional. Laura outdoes herself on all of her albums. My favorite songs are: Solitaire, Deep in the Dark, Close Enough, How Am I Supposed to Live Without You, I'm Not the Only One, Find Me and Don't Show Your Love. I would highly recommend this to anyone."

A good second offering, but a bit too soon

John A. Kuczma | Marietta, GA USA | 05/07/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Laura Branagin possesses one of the finest, most unusual voices of all female rock/pop singers. Her near five-octave range and powerful delivery were nearly operatic in quality and helped her to a tremendously successful career.Branagin 2 features two of her better efforts, the tremendously successful Solitaire and the soul-searching How Am I Supposed to Live Without You. However, the album as a whole suffers from the dreaded sophomore jinx. It was forced into production by a studio hoping to capitalize on the success of the artist's first album, and has too little good or even mediocre supporting material to go along with the two hits.Branagin's excellent voice rescues many of the weaker compositions on this album but, as a whole, Branagin 2 is rather weak. Only her remarkable voice and the superb "Solitaire" keep this album from dropping into three-star range."