CD Cover Analysis

Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams

The cover includes a picture of the artist, but it is a silhouette, showing that he is not worried too much about his appearance and doesn't try to use it to sell his music. More than showing his appearance, the image of him is included to have a human in it who is interacting with nature (the tree). The fact that the cover is very uncluttered and uses natural, simple images shows that the music will probably quite simple and relaxing and that the artist is concerned with the nature and the environment.

The colours are extremely simple, with just yellow, black and white used in the cover. This reflects the simple nature of the music, and the warm yellow shows that the music will probably be upbeat and happy because it has connotations to sunshine and happiness. The yellow and the black in combination give the idea of it being evening, as the sun is setting and creating silhouettes of the tree and the artist. This also relates to the title of the album - 'In Between Dreams', because sunset is an 'in between state' between day and night.

The typography is very simple and unobtrusive, with a basic sans serif font in black and white and fairly small. It is in the top right corner so it doesn't draw attention too much, keeping the image simple and effective for attracting the kind of listeners who enjoy simple, peaceful music. The two lines are also slightly unaligned, which seems to be a convention of album covers.




Melody Gardot - My One And Only Thrill

The main feature of this cover is the image of the artist, showing that her appearance is an important part of her image and how she markets her music. It is also not obscured like the Jack Johnson cover, but made to stand out by muting the colours of the background to make the bright blond of her hair stand out and draw the listener's attention to her face.

The colours used in the cover are predominantly dark and grey, especially around her face, showing that the music will probably not be upbeat, but will be darker and more focused lyrically on her personal troubles. The fact that her name is in blue, a rare point of colour, also emphasises how she uses herself to market her music, by drawing attention to her name and face.

The image shows an old and empty looking place, filled with columns, which is a fairly unusual image and adds to the idea of the music being less happy and more about conflict.

The typography is very simple, with both the album and artist name right next to each other, differentiated by colour. A strip of dark grey is used along the top of the cover to put the artist and album name on, clearly showing them and drawing your attention to them.

Belleruche - The Express

This cover is very simple, with a lot of white space. This fits with the simple, laid-back image that the band has. The images are mainly abstract when you first look at it, since the abstract, floral designs are in bright red. This gives the impression of music with an abstract, experimental or different feel, which the music has. The only other image used is a piece of sheet music. This signifies how Belleruche's music takes aspects of traditional jazz music, which uses sheet music, and mixes it with experimental or different types of music.

The main colour used is white, with most of the cover white or light grey. The splashes of red in abstract shapes make the creative and experimental theme stand out, while the blue and red (traditional, primary colours) bands at the top are less abstract shapes, showing the traditional influences.

Only one font is used, and it is simple, sans serif and bold. The main text is also in white, contributing to the overall stripped-back, simple feel. A lot of the music has a slower, quieter tone to it than lots of modern music, so this helps to give a sense of the simplicity of the music.

Outkast -ATLiens

This cover is very cluttered and action-packed, showing that the music won't focus on simplicity like Belleruche's music. It is in the style of a comic book, showing that it will probably be aimed at a younger target audience. The images of aliens link to the name of the album, which is itself a portmanteau of 'aliens' and 'ATL' (Atlanta). These work together to give potential listeners the idea that it might deal with themes of alienation, and with life in Atlanta. The cartoon images of the members of the duo show them dressed in clothes that are typical of rap and hip hop music, instantly showing what genre of music it is.

There are lots of different colours and shades used in the cover, but the main ones are blue, green and a splash of red. The blue and green give the cover a calmer feel, despite how cluttered it is. This represents the more laid-back feel of the album compared to Outkast's previous album. The splash of red indicates emotions like anger that are explored in the music.

The fonts used both have a 3d effect to make the text stand out. 'Outkast' is in a very bold and clear font so that it is easy to see, and fans can recognise the artist's name immediately. This helps to sell the music on the artist's image and reputation. The font used for 'ATLiens' is the kind of font normally used for horror films, reinforcing the idea of the aliens on the cover being a theme.

The Duhks - The Duhks

The cover is very simple, with only one image and the band's name. The image shows the band members, which shows that they might sell themselves partly on their image. They are mostly smiling or laughing, showing that the music will probably be simple, light and happy. The bright sunlight behind them also reinforces this.

There is a large range of colours used, although the bright sunlight makes them all look fairly muted. The main colours that stand out are red, blue and yellow. This helps to give it a bright and simple feel, as they are primary colours.

Only one font is used, and it is a smooth, curved but serif font. It mixes the upbeat and modern nature of a rounded font with the traditional feel of a serif script - similarly to how the music incorporates traditional folk but tries to be upbeat and modern. The font itself is multi-coloured, adding to the bright feel.