Sara Bareilles – Kaleidoscope Heart (2xLP)

Sara Bareilles’ Kaleidoscope Heart arrived in 2010 as her third studio album and second major-label release, and it quickly became a real turning point: it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 90,000 copies in its first week. That success matters because the record also hears Bareilles stretching beyond the breakout polish of Little Voice, keeping her piano-led pop front and centre while opening the songs up to a broader emotional and sonic range.

Producer Neal Avron helps give the album its crisp, full-bodied shape, but the appeal is still Bareilles’ songwriting: strong melodies, conversational wit and ballads that land without overplaying the drama. The best-known songs, including “King of Anything,” “Uncharted” and “Gonna Get Over You,” show different sides of that balance, from sharp-edged pushback to uplift and easy pop immediacy. AllMusic noted that the album takes greater sonic risks than its predecessor while keeping Bareilles’ gift for memorable tunes intact.

This 2024 vinyl edition spreads the album across two records, which suits a set that moves easily between bright, radio-ready singles and more reflective closing moments like “Breathe Again” and “Bluebird.” If you know Bareilles mainly for the early hits, Kaleidoscope Heart is a strong reminder that her appeal was never just one single: it was the mix of craft, warmth and a quietly ambitious sense of scale.

Features

• 2xLP, Gatefold Jacket

Reviews

• tunes so softly insistent they could conceivably appear on adult contemporary charts anytime from 1971 to 2010. - AllMusic.com