In all honestly, I love Michelle's music to death (although lyrically she could use some work, but who am I to talk?)...but I often get the feeling that she's a tad bit cocky. It's just a hunch. I hope I'm wrong. All in all, I really like her. But she's nowhere near as wonderful as our Nessa!
Lyrically, Michelle shows flashes of being great but, for the most part, I agree that she's not too good (especially compared to Vanessa). Then again, I think Michelle purposely writes her songs in a very honest, straight forward manner so that they are more relatable to everybody, but I could be wrong.
I think I know what you're talking about with the cocky thing, but I think that's just part of her personality/sense of humor. I've read a lot of interviews and seen most of her MB posts, and she's REALLY sarcastic. And, unlike most artists who are afraid of stepping on anyone's toes, she'll let you know if she thinks someone sucks. I guess whether any of that makes her cocky depends on each individual's definition of the word.
Oh yeah, and to answer the poll, I do like Michelle Branch but I much prefer live cuts of her songs over the album cuts.