The great thing about this record is that while it contains many solid melodic hooks, there isn't a moment where it loses its rock balls. This is largely thanks to Boucher's resonant voice -- she doesn't have much range, but what she does have, she uses well, and she uses melodic twists to make her vocal lines always interesting. Boucher knows how to use weird chord progressions, such as on "A Beautiful Book", "Don't Point, Don't Scare It" and the piano-driven "Never Leave Your Heart Alone", a good example of how to sing a ballad without sounding anemic. The instrumental performance, largely by Boucher herself, is innovative, heavy on groove and full of attention-grabbing touches -- the twitchy guitars which open "Busy"; the aggressive acoustic strums of mighty leadoff track "Life Is Short" (brilliant use of dynamics on this track); the classic-rock guitar riffs of "Can You See the Lights?", the track that turned me on to this record; the cascades of glistening guitar on the anthemic "Another White Dash"; and the aforementioned "Don't Point, Don't Scare It" has Boucher's most soulful singing over an almost Renaissance guitar arrangement,

This record reminds me of another artist who had burst out of the gates with a flourish: Melanie Garside. Like Garside's first record Fossil, Flutterby is filled with great performances and superb songwriting. These songs sound like they would work equally well in a solo piano/guitar setting, and that's saying a lot. Add that to the terrific arrangements, and you have a candidate for an instant pop-rock classic.


Early contender for album of the year   April 27, 2004
J. C. Steuber (Columbus)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

Why does it seem that the best musicians nowadays are completely ignored at MTV and radio? If there was any justice in this world Butterfly Boucher would be bigger than many of those half-baked acts that pass for musicians.

But enough with the ranting, Butterfly Boucher's "Flutterby" is an astonishingly satisfying debut album. First, there isn't a weak track in the mix. All of them have a pop/rock sound and nothing sounds forced or sappy in the way of lyrics or music. Second, she wrote almost all of the songs. Third, she played most of the instruments on the album. She's not only talented, she's versatile.

"Another White Dash" was my first exposure to Boucher, and I was very impressed, like a Dido track with a lot more punch. "Soul Back" and "Life Is Short" showcase great vocals and guitar while "I Can't Make Me" sounds like a remade Cardigans tune. Butterfly Boucher essentially isn't doing anything radically different. She's just doing it with much more finesse. And we all could use more musicians like her.


The Most Amazing New Artist I've Heard In Years   March 7, 2004
Brian C Harrison (Austin, TX)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

If the title and rating I've give don't make it clear, then let me just say BUY THIS ALBUM! You won't be disappointed.

I first saw "I Can't Make Me" from Butterfly Boucher on mtvU at my college and thought it was a great song. It was catchy and cool and I liked it. Curious, I downloaded a couple other songs, namely "Another White Dash" and "A Walk Outside" and I thought they were fantastic. Afterwards, I immediately went out and put down the $10 it costs for this album. Not only is it mind-blowing, it really is a bargain!

So I did a little looking around and found out that Butterfly writes her own music, plays all of her own instruments, and does all of the vocals, all of which wouldn't mean anything if the music weren't good, but rest assured it is. Oh, it is. This girl has a lot of talent, the album is among my absolute favorites of the past five years or so, and I can't wait to see her develop. Even if she never reaches the level that other pop/rock stars have reached, she's a mega-star in my book!


Amazing, Amazing, Amazing   September 6, 2004
Avril D. Flaten
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Amazing is all I can say. I saw Butterfly open for Sarah McLaughlan last night in St. Paul. At the beginning of the concert, no one in the stadium wasn't listening to her, but by the end of her session she had the audience mesmerized. I've been to alot of concerts and usually the opening acts are not much to comment on, but all I have to say that I was completely blown away by this young woman. I bought the cd after her session and I've listed to nothing else the last 24 hours.

She's a mixture of PJ Harvery/Lisa Loeb. She's not doing anything orginal, but she is amazing. All her songs are catchy. If you don't believe me, buy it and listen to it. I think the best songs on the cd are "I Can't Make It" and "Another White Dash". Also watch for her club tour to start. She puts on a good show! A real entertainer.

I suggest to everyone that they email MTV to play her music video. Also call your radio stations and request her songs. We can change what we are forced to listen to as "mainstream music" in this country!


Born to write and sing   July 10, 2004
Kaplowie (Sacramento, CA United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

I just finished seeing Butterfly (yes that's her real name) open for Sarah McLachlan and I must say that i'm impressed. Pure voice, clever and witty, just pleasant to listen to. Since you're reading this review, you must be somewhat interested with her or her music, so listen to the samples, google her to find out about her life and you'll be surprised at what you find. She plays all the instruments on her album (most pop acts don't even feature instruments) and writes all the songs (once again another oddity in the pop world). Personal favorites on this album: I Can't Make Me and Never Let it Go, both are catchy tunes that will make your head bop while the lyrics actually say something. Also listen for her cover of Bowie's Changes in Shreck 2. Bottom line, she's refreshing, attractive, smart, with a true voice that sounds as good live as in the studio. You get the feeling that she is writing and performing for the sake of her music and not fame, she was born to be what she is.