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It's stronger in every way than "The Spirit Room", especially vocally. Michelle has moved beyond her (endearing) vocal ticks of her first album, and is a MUCH more confident performer.

There are numerous songs that should get heavy rotation, including the duet with Sheryl Crow (though not my favorite on the album).

She's already been shown the respect she deserves when chosen to sing on the breezy "The Game Of Love", so the industry will definitely be behind her for years to come.

I could definitely imagine hanging out with her if she went to college when I did. She's a very down to earth, girl next door, and a lot of people can relate to her, from multiple generations -- another reason why she will definitely be popular for a very long time.

I just have to have a track by track review for this one:

1) "Intro" - not gonna rate it. It just serves as a bookend theme.

2) "Are You Happy Now" (10) - great first single, and great video to go along with it. It's quite apparent that she strongly feels what she's singing.

3) "Find Your Way Back" (10) - could definitely be a single, but probably won't be, because there is just so much to choose from, and several other songs are a bit more unique. Breezy, and most like the material from her debut.

4) "Empty Handed" (8) - Surprisingly addictive. Doesn't seem like it would draw you in at first, but just does.

5) "Tuesday Morning" (10) - Gives me the chills. A great pop song. Definitely deserves to be a single; most likely the third or fourth from the album. If so, it's one of those songs that you can never tire of, no matter how much they overplay it (similar to how "All You Wanted" sticks to you and never lets go).

6) "One Of These Days" (8) - The piano song. This one is different from the rest of the album. It's very sweet, and my daughter's favorite. It's basically four chords, but sometimes that's all you need.

7) "Love Me Like That" (8) - Sort of country at times, reminds me a bit of Fleetwood Mac at times (maybe there's a Sheryl Crow / Fleetwood Mac connection there). Don't let the very different feel throw you off -- it wraps a great chorus. Breezy, in the spirit of "The Game Of Love", and could definitely be a late summer single.

8) "Desperately" (7) - Decent song, but maybe my least favorite from the album. For some reason, many people list this as one of their favorites. Not very special, IMO.

9) "Breath" (10) - Great, great song. One of those I have to repeat play when playing the CD. This should definitely be the second or third single. Too bad the recording was tuned about a half a pitch off. I have to retune my guitar just to play along. Maybe my favorite from the album, but I have trouble deciding.

10) "Where Are You Now" (8) - Another one of those songs that start slowly, but works its way into your blood.

11) "Hotel Paper" (8) - Title track that will never get airplay. It's different from most of the album, and quite introspective. Really nice, with a swelling chorus.

12) "'Til I Get Over You" (10) - A very special song which really shows Michelle's maturing vocals. I would love to hear this played on the radio, but I seriously doubt it will ever get there.

13) "It's You" (8) - Pretty album closer, with the other theme bookend tacked onto the end.

This is a great album, and I highly recommend it! It's very rare for there to be five "10"s on an album. And when she wins a Grammy for this, this time around I'm sure she won't forget to thank her parents ;-)


Once again, an amazing album   June 28, 2003
 25 out of 29 found this review helpful

Personally, I thought that Michelle's first album "The Spirit Room" would be so hard to top. Since I got the cd, I've been listeneing to it nonstop. However, Michelle's second cd, "Hotel Paper" topped "The Spirit Room" by about 10 times. Her first single "Are You Happy Now?" is only a small taste of what she can do musically. Michelle is an amazing songwriter, as well as a great guitarist. Her voice is fresh and original, and it shows in her lyrics and her voice that she is truly singing from her heart. Her lyrics relate to real-life situations, typically for teenagers going through break ups or heartaches. The tracks on this album range from poppy to almost jazzy. Each is original and new, bringing style and class to her music.
"Love Me Like That" with Sheryl Crow is probably my personal favorite track on the album, mostly because it is one of the more upbeat songs. Michelle's voice blends seamlessly with Sheryl's, and Sheryl Crow's voice fits the song perfectly. I would definitely like to hear another collaboration with the 2 of them in the future. I am very impressed with this song.
"Desperately," my second favorite, starts slow but picks up as the song goes on. When I first heard this song, I decided I didnt like it, but it surprisingly grew on me.
"It's You" is Michelle's version of a slow ballad. It's beautiful, and has a quality that sets it apart from the rest of the tracks. The only complaint I have is that I wish this song was longer.
"Empty Handed" would be the song that I would pick to be her next single. It's powerful lyrics remind me of someone leaving from a breakup, and not looking back at how it was "supposed to be."
I also love the guitar on "Tuesday Morning." It is a beautiful and sweet song.
If you are into strong women who write their own songs, buy this album! I know that I was very impressed. Its true that you must not like music very much if you dont like Michelle Branch's "Hotel Room."


Hotel Paper? More like Toilet Paper.   June 24, 2003
 22 out of 38 found this review helpful

When I read the review in Rolling Stone magazine and they gave this album two stars, I thought (very sarcastically, mind you) "Yeah, right". Well...

I really hate to dog Michelle Branch's new album, but in all honesty and fairness, it is not very good. I can't believe how much different this album is that "The Spirit Room", which is a superb album, absolutely superb.

What is right with Hotel Paper? One thing: The song Are You Happy Now?

What is wrong with Hotel Paper? One: The music and lyrics are far inferior to her "The Spirit Room" release, and below par to the similar artists releasing albums today. Two: Where are the catchy melodies, key changes, chord progressions? The songs are very bland and sound like filler or a bunch of B-sides. Three: I can't believe the duet with Sheryl Crow is as weak as it is! I was so pumped when my CD player hit this song and my frown got bigger and bigger as the minutes played away. I really can't imagine how a Grammy winner/Grammy nominee could do a duet this bad?

I hate to write a critical review like this, but people need to know. This is not "The Spirit Room" for sure. I'm not sure there's any "Spirit" at all...


WELL worth the wait!   June 25, 2003
 13 out of 16 found this review helpful

I've been waiting since Aug '02 for the new CD, and it's finally here! I was completely blown away by 12/13 songs. There's so much emotion and you can really tell she put her heart and soul into it! Here's my review of each song:

1. Intro-I didn't understand the point of this track. It was about 11 seconds of what felt like clown music. It was also at the end of "It's You" but it didn't get it's own track number.

2. Are You Happy Now-I really must say that I LOVE the live version, but the album version has Michelle competing with the music. B+

3. Find Your Way Back-Absolutely amazing. I totally relate. It sounds so innocent in the beginning. "I used to get away with so much/Now I can't get away..." A

4. Empty Handed-I love the 22-piece orchestra on it. This is Michelle's favorite, and it's now my favorite too! A+

5. Tuesday Morning-Great song talking about friendships. It has such beatiful lyrics! A+

6. One of these Days-Wow, Michelle played the piano on this, and it's great! A nice ballad, though I like the piano more than the lyrics. B

7. Love Me Like That-Nice duet with Sheryl Crow and nice guitar playing. A-

8. Desperately-My least favorite song on the album. I find the live version more appealing. B

9. Breathe-I absolutely love the guitar playing. It has such a catchy hook and great lyrics to go with it! Would be wonderful to play on the road in the summer. A+

10. Where Are You Now?-Good song describing how hard a relationship can be maintained as you travel around the world. I really like the verses. A+

11. Hotel Paper-The title track. I think the lyrics are great and her voice really shows. However, not one of my favorites. A-

12. Till I Get Over You-It took awhile for it to grow on me. The beginning's a little strange, but it's nice Michelle's going back to her roots as she sings in the background in French. A

13. It's You-Such a sad and emotional song. Love it, though it was weird to stick the "clown music" at the end of this song. A

This album practically has you screaming for the next record ASAP.


Michelle Branch continues to impress!   August 18, 2003
 13 out of 14 found this review helpful

I admit, when I first bought this album, I didn't know what to expect. After listening to all of it, it look some time to get used to the "new" sound, as this album is not as happy, poppy, and bright as her debut, The Spirit Room. Eventually all the songs grew on me in a big way. At first it seems like all the songs "sound alike" but it's that way with all new albums. The album requires multiple listenings for each song to come into its own. My favorites on this CD are pretty much all the songs. The one song that took the longest to grow on me is "Til I Get Over You." The French backing vocals weirded me out for awhile until I got used to them. I like this album so much that I have two copies: The American release and the import with the 2 extra tracks (Everywhere, Game of Love). I'm really impressed with her songwriting on this album. Seven of the album's 12 tracks were written solo by Michelle. The others had co-writers. She's a refreshing artist out there today who DOESN'T sell her body, but her music instead. I'm forever a fan of Michelle Branch, and look forward to her third album, whenever it may come out.