Sara Bareille

Sara Bareille

Blessed Unrest

original material that had fans snapping up tickets for this solo tour in a matter of minutes, and Bareilles is no slouch in that department,” isn’t necessarily the one you’d choose to make the best case for her songwriting chops. “Love Song,” her 2007 breakout, remains as catchy a pop song as the 21st century has produced, with its ideal blend of hooky coloratura and conversational lyrics. That one works equally well with or without a band, since in either case the rhythmic emphasis remains on her Ben Folds-like quarter notes on the keyboard (worth noting: Folds himself was in attendance). Some of her other more poppy material, like “Uncharted,” “King of Anything,” and even “Brave,” came off better in concert, sans the bells and whistles that producers have added to convince radio that she’s not a one-trick piano woman.