It would seem that a little bit of music would cure anything for me these days. Indefinitely hard situations can be cured or at least pain-relieved by popping a CD in and just jamming for hours. Knowing this, I would have to say that my favourite medicine for quite some time would have to be Hotel Paper by Michelle Branch. This CD has gotten me through leaving everything I know and love behind, and throwing myself off into an oblivion, a chasm deeper than I even knew. Thank you Michelle, for giving me something to ease the pain, and share in the joy.

Michelle Branch was born about three years before me. She has quite a bit of wisdom, at least with a microphone and guitar, for a person in their early twenties. For a brief bio, Michelle has lived in Arizona her whole life. She has been singing since birth, and playing the guitar since the age of 14. She asked for a guitar for her birthday and got one. Amazing. I hope that will happen to me with my Christmas/birthday violin. Fingers crossed. Anyhow, Michelle started writing songs and having small concerts. Eventually somebody in the record biz realized that she had talent and signed her up. Since then she�s released two major records, The Spirit Room, and her latest Hotel Paper.

I liked her album The Spirit Room, but Hotel Paper had that strange effect on me of making me dance and sing around my living room while there was no one there to watch me. Well, my dog, but big deal. I can still remember the first night I listened to it. Erin (my pirating friend) had burned a copy for me and I went home and immediately turned it on, much louder than I bet my neighbours would have liked I�d wager as well. And did I dance. There this thing that happens to me, when I here good music, I can�t sit still. My soul just decides its going to dance and jump around and nobody telling me that I look stupid or that its not cool can stop me. I feel the very most alive at moments like this. Its comparable only to the very highest of highs I�ve ever felt in my life. Finishing the last mile race I would ever run, tears almost streaming down my face, only because of the mental exhilaration and pain. Stepping onto a plane for the other side of the world, feeling like me skin was glass, my insides a pool of red water draining through the cracks. Having a kiss so charged it felt electric. Its like that. Listening to this and other awesome CDs does that to me. Go ahead. Say it. I�m weird. I wouldn�t have it any other way anyway.

So back to the CD. Thirteen tracks of sheer brilliance. And don�t think that the fact that it has thirteen tracks, and that she has tarot cards in her first video from this CD has escaped my attention. You connect the dots.

Track one is an introduction with an old cool feel to it. Not long, but fun.

Track two is her first single from the CD. Are You Happy Now totally rocks. It reminds me of angry Alanis Morisette music. Its one of the best songs on the CD. When I listen to this song it makes me almost wish I had someone to be really pissed at.

Next we have Find My Way Back. This is one of my tied favourite songs on the CD. Its lyrics go over her still loving a person who has hurt her, and she�s finding her way back to whoever that was. It may seem cheesy, or bizarre, take your pick, but I equate this songs lyrics to me singing it at me. The part of me that hurts to much, being away from my home, being angry but still in love with the more serene all knowing part of me that knows its right to be here. I don�t blame you if you�re confused. Besides the deeper meaning for me, this song still just totally rocks. Its up tempo and honest.

Track four is titled Empty Handed. Its my other tied favourite. This song does things with the background music that makes me feel like I�m hearing an excerpt from an epic tale. Plus the part where she just sings without words makes me have to dance. Its taken so long for me to be able to control the urge to just jump up and sing with her. I feel the journey in this song, and it kind of represents me.

Tuesday morning is the title of the next song. Its about her staying the night with someone, she�s not sure why, she just did. I�m assuming sex here, but it could be used to represent other things. Like, for example, the Tuesday Morning I spent in the dark of jumbo jet over the Atlantic Ocean. I like it, its soft and emotional. It does a good job of representing that there really is more to sex than just the actual action of sex. Assuming that that is the subject matter of course, but heck, we all know it is.

The next song isn�t as good as the previous ones. One of These Days isn�t too bad or too good either. I like the rawness that the piano gives to the song.

Track seven is one of the best songs on the CD. It features a duet between Michelle and Sheryl Crow. Some may say that its kind of country, but I say, if it is country, it�s the best country I�ve ever heard. The guitar playing in the song takes my breath away. Its so fast and good. I love it.

Desperately is the title of the next song. Its good, I like the lyrics and the way she sings them. I feel like I�m hearing somebody�s secrets.

Track nine is entitled Breathe. Its traditional Michelle Branch type stuff. I could have heard this song on the Spirit Room. That doesn�t mean it doesn�t rock, because it totally does. It has a youthful feeling to it. Like a person just embarking on a journey. See a trend here?

Next we find Where Are You Now. It�s a lot like Breathe, kinda youthful, very truthful, and it makes me smile. Typical Michelle Branch. I like how she all of the sudden surprises you by just slamming on the guitar.

Hotel Paper comes next. Its entitled as such because she writes on Hotel Paper all the time, which makes sense for a travelling musician. I absolutely love the lyrics of this song, not so much for their subject matter, but more because she just rambles. I love it. This song works in a way that it describes perfectly how a person thinks. There�s no rhyme or reason. Its perfect. I also love how it reminds me of laying on my beach in the hot sun. Man that�s awesome. And there�s this line, it takes you by surprise, just all of the sudden she goes, �Maybe this breeze blowing in just came from the ocean.� God. Kill me. Every time I hear it, every time, I get chills and I give a little gasp. I still remember the first time I heard that line. My whole body was covered in goose bumps.

The next song haunts me when I�m feeling down. Its entitled Til I Get Over You. Its slow and sad. And it has French lyrics. It starts and I see myself walking through this my school. The dark rain clouds over my head. Of course I�m beautiful. But I can see through the dark. Its my life. I�m watching the world go by in a way. Waiting until I get over what ever it is that keeps me down. Homesickness, or something harder.

I�d have to say that the final song my least favourite on the CD, which is hardly surprising, seeing as I�m not much of a slow ballad fan. But it works. A slow guitar. Honest lyrics. If that�s your thing, go for it.

Hotel Paper is the most obvious reason why Michelle Branch is the artist of this edition of Pumpkin, but there are also more hidden reasons. The girl is doing what she loves. You don�t see Michelle Branch in magazines barely wearing clothes and sticking out her breasts. You see pictures of her playing the guitar. You see pictures of her writing out lyrics. You hear Michelle Branch more than you see her. That�s the way it should be for a musician. She interprets things on a deep level, while still seeming to have fun. I have a sneaking suspicion she might be Pagan, and her lyrics totally seem to represent my life. She rocks but she doesn�t have to sound like noise to do it. She doesn�t have to be vulgar to be cool.

I would definitely recommend Michelle�s latest CD. Maybe it won�t help to get you through the hardest time in your life like it did for me, but it should be a good listen anyway.