Colbie Caillat

Versatile singer-songwriter/guitarist Colbie Caillat has fashioned herself a gauzy, soft-pop niche that fits easily alongside Sheryl Crow's slower numbers. With a gentle beach jam feel (think Jason Mraz), Caillat's second album is equally appropriate for the giddiness of a new relationship ("You Got Me") as for the gaping hole left when it's all over ("I Never Told You."). Even when Caillat is detailing post-breakup blues, however, the acoustic guitars/warm keyboards and organic rhythm section lend the darkest songs a sunniness that is hard to ignore. "Fallin' for You" wins best song.

Colbie Caillat's smash 2007 debut single, "Bubbly," established her as, well, bubbly — a
slightly ditzy Southern California gal specializing in folk-pop ballads about getting "the
tingles in a silly place" when she sees a cute boy. On her second CD, she's still crushing on
guys. "I think I felt my heart skip a beat/I'm standing here, and I can hardly breathe," she
coos in "You Got Me." Caillat has a fine voice — clear and ringing, with a hint of a... More >