She's humble, thoughtful, and not one for mindless chatter. She'd sooner talk about her favorite bands and songwriters, about football and films, than about herself.

But put Amy Macdonald on stage with a guitar in her hands, let loose her rich, bell-clear voice on a brace of superb original songs-and the self-effacing 20-year-old with the pale skin and wide blue eyes is revealed as a compelling performer possessed of formidable musical gifts.

Her Decca Universal debut album, This Is The Life, is equally impressive. On each of its eleven tracks, Amy's own acoustic guitar patterns form the foundation for the beautifully de¬tailed arrangements created by producer Pete Wilkinson and mixed to perfection by Bob Clearmountain. The result is a seamless set of contemporary folk-flavored pop-rock with a warmly natural sound and free of hip-hop affectations. Amy's melodies are incredibly catchy-the quality that has made "Run," "This Is The Life," and "Mr. Rock & Roll" into international radio favorites-but her lyrics sometimes hint at a darker, edgier under¬current.

"Footballer's Wife" ponders the devaluation of celebrity, from James Dean and Marilyn Monroe to today's reality-show wanna-bes; "Poison Prince" is a sharp-eyed 'look at the high-wire act of Pete Doherty (of Libertines and Babyshambles), one of Amy's earliest and most important musical inspirations. "Youth of Today" is a challenge to older gen¬erations, firm and clear-eyed without being self-righteous-Amy's version of "The Times They Are A-Changin'" or "My Generation."

So, if you would like to win one of these new CDs then just answer this easy question: 'This Is The Life' began moving up the British chart soon after its initial release in July 2007. The album reached Number One on January 13, 2008, knocking which bands latest album out of the top slot?!

Send us your answers and if you're correct you'll be in the running to win one of these new CDs! Just send us an e:mail here before September 15th with your answer and the subject title CONTEST: AMY MACDONALD CDs to: exclusivemagazine@flash.net

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