KT Tunstall
Tiger Suit
(Virgin)
Tunstall calls the music on her third album “nature techno.” And that’s a pretty fair summation of the grooves found on Tiger Suit — a mix of songs rooted in traditional folk music but tweaked with bursts of club-ready electronic noise. Like Beth Orton before her, Tunstall blends the organic and synthetic, crafting songs that peacefully coexist but never quite feel at home in either realm. Tiger Suit is also the Scottish singer-songwriter’s most playful album, thanks to songwriting contributions from pop masters Linda Perry and Greg Kurstin. The opening “Uummannaq Song” kicks a skittering beat against Tunstall’s raspy voice, and bouncy whistles bubble below the surface of the rolling “Glamour Puss.” “Push That Knot Away” even breaks mid-song for a White Stripes-like guitar riff before picking up steam on the way to the dance floor. But Tunstall never sounds completely at ease in the setting, like she’d rather be sipping coffee with the artsy kids than drinking appletinis with the pretty ones. —Michael Gallucci
Follow us on Twitter: @clescenemusic
