Is "Red" the New Black?

I finally got my hands on Dia Frampton's Red album. I was a little hesitant about getting it because of the reviews I read - not that they were bad, just that the songs in the album had more of an upbeat indie-ish vibe. I wasn't sure if I'd like it since the Dia songs I fell in love with on The Voice were on the (kind of) mellow acoustic side - "Heartless", "Losing My Religion" and "Inventing Shadows".

"The Broken Ones" was the first single released off this album and I liked it the first time I heard it. After listening to it countless times, I decided to finally get Dia Frampton's Red.

And I gotta say... I love it! In fact, I've had it on repeat for two days now.


I love how her songs always tell a story. This is not your regular chocolate-coated sugar candy pop album. In fact, some of the stories in the album are somewhat tainted with darkness. In a track by track, Dia revealed that "Good Boy" is about a close friend who experienced child molestation. "Isabella" tells of her little sister who was struggling when their parents were going through a rough patch in their marriage, "Trapeze" is about her friend with a tragic childhood, and "Walk Away" tells the story of a little girl who was handed over to her father's friends for entertainment. While holding dark lyrics, these songs actually have happy tunes. It kind of reminds me of Maroon 5 songs which have sad lyrics but upbeat tunes.

The YAYs:
My favorite song from the Red album is probably "I Will", a duet with country star (and Dia's mentor on The Voice) Blake Shelton. It's highly commercialized compared to the the other songs in the album but I think it's such a sweet friendship song. Call me cheesy but I love this song. I can almost hear it in any friendship movie like "Free Willy" or "Toy Story". I also love the really cute and catchy "Homeless", and the sadness and regret in "Daniel". Heck, I like almost all the songs in the album!

The BOOs:
The one track that seems a little bit weird to me is "Billy the Kid". It's a trance-like track that doesn't seem to fit in with the other songs.

Overall, Dia Frampton's Red album is great for easy listening. The lovely earthy tone of her voice makes it perfect for those afternoons you spend curled up on the couch with a book. This album left me (and thousands of other fans, I'm sure) pretty happy and satisfied. Yes, Dia's Red just might be the new black.

Track List

1. Don't Kick The Chair (feat. Kid Cudi)

2. Isabella

3. The Broken Ones

4. Good Boy

5. I Will (feat. Blake Shelton)

6. Billy the Kid

7. Daniel

8. Walk Away

9. Bullseye

10. Trapeze

11. Homeless (iTunes store bonus track)

12. Hearts Out to Dry (iTunes store bonus track)

Starlight, Starbright: