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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.


The Most Amazing New Artist I've Heard In Years   March 7, 2004
 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!


Hi? Is That You Avril? Michelle?   May 13, 2004
 10 out of 33 found this review helpful

I'm sorry... but Butterfly Boucher's debut disc reeks of everyone else on the planet. She seems to want to be an original with an original name and playing all her own instruments, but seriously... if you own anything else in this genre (screw the Tori references, let's bring it down to Michelle Branch references where it belongs), then you've heard this disc already only you don't have someone insanely prententious doing the work (because I do believe she is a bit too eager to show how special she believes she is).

I'm sure a few people have heard the debut single "Another White Dash" on the radio. It blends in so well, it's garnering a few spins just on the fact that it's a safe bet for most programmers. It honestly sounds like a Lillix track (remember them from last year?!?). It's not original, it doesn't offer anything new. The same can be said for the rest of the CD. This is a "safe" album for someone who wants to know what to expect before they buy it. It's an average "girl grabs guitar (and a bunch of other instruments) and plays". "Another White Dash" will definitely get a moderate-to-good amount of airplay, but don't look for Butterfly to make a major splash in the near future. I'm usually a good judge of who makes it big and who doesn't very early on. I just don't see this album having the quality and ingenuity required to seep through the established individuals who are already doing this music.


Early contender for album of the year   April 27, 2004
 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.


Elusive Butterfly   July 21, 2004
 6 out of 19 found this review helpful

Yes -- believe it or not, that is her real name. Hippie-monikered Butterfly Boucher's name is the most exceptional thing about her debut album, "Flutterby," a mildly acoustic pop collection without much to distinguish it. Boucher has a lovely voice, but the lyrics and music are forgettable pop pap.

Things start off on an okay-not-great note with the middling "Life is Short," before shifting to faster, catchier guitar pop in "Can You See The Lights?". Road folk-pop is the core of "Another White Dash," followed by more catchy guitar pop in the accusatory "Soul Back" and "Busy," a melancholy rock edge in "A Walk Outside," acoustic laments in "Don't Point Don't Scare It," and some gentle ballads in "Never Leave Your Heart Alone."

Butterfly Boucher is solid when she sticks to ballads and acoustic laments -- and there aren't enough on this album. In those songs, her voice gets a chance to shine without pop hooks snaring her. Had "Flutterby" been made up of ballads or slower pop songs, then it might have been a winner.

Boucher's voice certainly isn't to blame -- her voice is clear and sharp, with enough flexibility to keep her from sounding monotonous. It's not suited to the music, but her vocals certainly rise above the material. It also has a pleasant girl-next-door quality; she sounds ordinary but talented.

But once you get past Boucher's vocals, things fall apart. Instrumentation is competent, but nothing special or noteworthy. It's all hooks, no substance. The songwriting is mediocre at best, and hideously annoying at worst. In addition, Boucher takes one of the worst pop trends and has it in nearly every song -- take one line and repeat until the listeners vomit. Listen to the words "another white dash" about five hundred times, and you will want to jab chopsticks in your ears.

"Flutterby is a dud. Butterfly Boucher is not. She has the vocals to take her far as a singer/musician, but she needs to stick with her strengths and lose the vapid guitar pop in favor of ballads and acoustics. If Butterfly takes that path, then she really will fly, not just flutter.