What's Inside Songs From Waitress (2015)

"Of all the pop singer/songwriters who surfaced in the 21st century, Sara Bareilles may be uniquely qualified to write the songs for a Broadway musical. Indebted to tradition without being beholden to it, Bareilles always favors songs so exquisitely sculpted that their craft is never noticed, only felt, so she's a natural fit for Diane Paulus' adaptation of Adrienne Shelly's 2007 indie comedy-drama Waitress. This isn't a cast album, it's Bareilles' recording of 12 songs from the production, and the highest compliment that can be paid is that it simultaneously plays as drama and as a sequel to her 2013 album "The Blessed Unrest". Bright and open, "What's Inside" does feel of a piece with her 2010 album "Kaleidoscope Heart" -- the presence of that album's producer Neal Avron, who sat out "The Blessed Unrest", is apparent -- and that warm, colorful sheen is enough to make the album play as pop: simply judged on its surface, it provides tangible pleasures." (S.T. Erlewine, Allmusic; 4 uit 5 sterren)