| Stand Still, Look Pretty | 
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| Artists: The Wreckers, Michelle Branch, Jessica Harp
Label: Maverick
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy New: $4.44
You Save: $14.54 (77%)
New (50) Used (34) from $2.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  113 reviews
Sales Rank: 3391
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 5.2 x 0.8
MPN: 48980
UPC: 093624898023
EAN: 0093624898023
ASIN: B0009F43V8
Release Date: May 23, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Leave The Pieces | | • | Way Back Home | | • | The Good Kind | | • | Tennessee | | • | My, Oh My | | • | Stand Still, Look Pretty | | • | Cigarettes | | • | Hard To Love You | | • | Lay Me Down | | • | One More Girl | | • | Rain | | • | Only Crazy People |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
The Wreckers are Grammy-winning songstress Michelle Branch and friend/journeywoman Nashville singer-songwriter Jessica Harp, a team whose solid craftsmanship and soaring, airtight harmonies often lift their hook-smart contemporary country stylings above what's too often mere fizzy, pop-crossover formula. They may have entered the public consciousness via the wide exposure of "Good Kind" on the primetime soap opera One Tree Hill, but the bracing, back-porch charms of the single "Leave the Pieces" should find them a following well beyond that series' teen audience. The reflective title track, gritty folk charms of "Tennessee" and giddy crowd-pleaser "My, Oh My" are suffused with a lyrical maturity that's the perfect counterpoint to the duo's sturdy musical constructs. Solid songs all, delivered with a muscular vocal conviction that does considerably more than merely sell them. --Jerry McCulley
Album Description
The Wreckers are about creation, not destruction. Bringing together two young, fearless female singersongwriter-acoustic guitarists—Grammy-winning, platinum-selling Michelle Branch and collaborator Jessica Harp—The Wreckers' debut album, Stand Still, Look Pretty, blends Branch's pop-rock sensibility with Harp's country-folk style. Edgy yet rootsy, on Stand Still, Look Pretty, The Wreckers have a ball.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 108 more reviews...
 The Wreckers deliver a enjoyable debut album that is easy on the ears.. May 23, 2006
55 out of 60 found this review helpful
Throwing away the chains of pop music stardom, and basking in her new motherhood, singer Michelle Branch has formed a new band with friend and Kansas City native Jessica Harp to write and perform modern country music with a rock and roll touch. Performing with heart and energy, The Wreckers offer the pleasing mixture of country and pop that has become a staple of today's Nashville, delivering several sure singles, several stand out tracks, with some enjoyable tasting filler in between.
The songs feel comfortable and familiar, whether its due to some similarities with Branch's earlier work or just their ability to sound a lot like the Dixie Chicks. But even the filler tastes pretty good. The first single Leave the pieces is a pure modern country-pop song, full of tight vocal harmonies and with violins and banjos providing flourishes to the guitar heavy arrangement. Fans of tv show One Tree Hill will remember The Good Kind, a more plaintive and emotional song with Jessica and Michelle trading lines in their pleasant voices; sometimes it's hard to tell where Michelle's voice begins and Jessica's ends. Tennessee, another potentially huge single, has a definite Faith Hill feel to it, with a soaring chorus and is one of the best tracks on the album. My Oh My and Crazy People are more traditional country songs, driven by banjos and having a bluegrass flavor that makes for a highly addictive combination. The powerfully gentle title track Stand Still Look Pretty and the soft track Rain are more somber and reserved and musically more diverse, and fit in perfectly with the overall tenor of the record.
Spending the summer on tour with Rascal Flatts seems appropriate for The Wreckers, since they deliver the same type of easily digestible modern country that sounds darn good on the radio. It's not the most adventurous songwriting in the world, and it probably won't win praise with critics because of its commercial viability, but its a lot of fun nonetheless. If you enjoy Dixie Chicks, Rascal Flatts, or Michelle Branch's previous work, you will enjoy this album. The writing is solid, the music is as slickly produced as you would expect from a bevy of Nashville producers and Jessica and Michelle's friendship makes for some beautiful music. Recommended.
A.G. Corwin
St.Louis, MO
 A successful change for Michelle Branch May 25, 2006
25 out of 33 found this review helpful
I'm a big fan of all of Michelle Branch's pop/rock solo albums. I still want another solo album from Michelle, but I can't complain at all about Stand Still, Look Pretty. Largely produced by John Leventhal, the production is polished, but not slick enough to overpower the good musicianship going on here. Michelle and Jessica Harp harmonize very well because of their similar voices. Sometimes it's difficult to tell them apart. The album is quite serious, but ends up with the humorous "Crazy People." Without that song to lighten things up, I would have reduced the CD's rating a bit. Finally, a little of Michelle's pop and folk styles do come through on songs like the title track and "Rain." Great job, Michelle and Jessica!
 Michelle Should Go Solo Again July 16, 2006
11 out of 24 found this review helpful
This album is horrible. I am a huge Michelle Branch fan, and to see her waste her talent on a country album like this is disappointing. Michelle Branch and Jessica Harper sound a lot better on their own, but together, they limit each other's lyrical potential. I hope to see a solo album from Michelle soon.
 It's ok. July 15, 2006
10 out of 19 found this review helpful
Just received the CD today and did the initial listen-through. I bought the CD based on the fact that I love "Leave The Pieces" and also every review here on Amazon is good. I'll be the first to say that in general I LOVE the sound of The Wreckers. It's so nice to have something like this in country music again. Before them, basically all you had to pick from was whiskey-guzzling-trailer-trash Gretchen Wilson or I'm-rich-now-and-have-lost-touch Faith Hill. All the other good female country singers have gone AWOL. I'm still a little disappointed in this CD and probably won't be hanging onto it after I save the few songs I like onto my computer. This is probably something that will get a lot of rotation in high-school girls' bedrooms, but I didn't find much I could relate to. It's A LOT of "boo hoo, I fell in love with you then you left me" kind of stuff. NONE of the songs even come close to the quality of "Leave The Pieces". The last song is so dark, just weird. "My Oh My" is another one worth listening to, the rest...(yawn)...
The Pop Music Retirement Home June 3, 2006
7 out of 25 found this review helpful
Who would have though it could get sadder than when country music was a dumping ground for singers who couldn't cut it in pop? Apparently now it is the dumping ground for artists who failed to make it in pop. I guess next up are Jessica Simpson and Brittany Spears. Towards that end The Wreckers have released and album of dull, lifeless songs which serve only to make Michelle's previous ubber Vanilla sound interesting. These songs have no connection to country music, either the greats of the or the people making interesting country today. While Michelle may have toured with The Chicks, there is no evidence on this album that either Wrecker has even heard them. If you need a cd to snuggle in next to your Shania Twain--because you like county, just not the twangy stuff--this is for you. If you are looking for interesting, well made country music go to The Chicks' new one, or Tres Chicks or heck even some OCMS, and toss this in a box marked Exhibit A for the next time the mainstream asks why all their fans left.
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