Definite under-achiever
920089
It makes lot of noise and then blows a fuse at 28 PSI
2619300
Having previously heard Young Team, an album that I considered a mixed success, I was hoping to find that the band had learned from their successes and failures and come up with a more refined effort.  I am very pleased to say that I think they did.  I can hear both the explosive elements of Young Team as well as a new element...much better mixing and a much richer atmosphere that at times can remind me slightly of Sigur Rs.  Perhaps it's the string arrangements that most contribute to this impression; I think they are a wonderful addition to the Mogwai sound.  The painfully short tracks "Moses? I Amn't" and "Golden Porsche" best exemplify this new element.
The only disappointments I found are in "Moses? I Amn't" and "Boring Machine Disturbs Sleep".  In the first song, while it was nearly perfect, I admit I was disappointed by the amount of analogue hiss I could hear in the percussion.  It was such a haunting sound they used--I just wish it hadn't had such a major flaw in it.  The other thing that disappointed me was the fact that "Boring Machine Disturbs Sleep" was in fact a bit boring in comparison to the other songs this album had to offer.  I've never been impressed with the lead vocalist's unaltered voice, so I consider this track the only true weak point of the album.
But, not enough can possibly be said about the other tracks!  "Killing All the Flies" starts out soft, but has a surprising explosion into a refined version of a Young Team-like rock that really makes listening worth it.  "Ratts of the Capital" has a similar effect, but is even better...even as the longest track of the album, it just isn't long *enough*.  Perhaps the album's most *haunting* track, though, is "I Know You Are But What Am I".  The piano part in particular is quite haunting and minimalist--but without becoming annoying and monotonous as I sometimes heard on Young Team.  The percussion loop is also mesmerising, and that strange, almost Game Boy-like synth gives it the feeling of a cold winter's night under the moon.  I also noticed there's something very unusual going on with the time signature--some strange aspect to the rhythm that I can't quite catch hold of, and don't have the expertise to describe.  Whatever it is, it's quite intriguing, to say the least, and a very neat sign of the subtle inventiveness Mogwai has learned.
As if the music weren't enough, I mus truly commend the initiative of Mogwai and the generosity of Steinberg--as an amateur sound production enthusiast, imagine my surprise and delight when a white slip of paper fell out of the liner notes saying the album had come with a free demo of Cubase SX, no less, and tracks provided by Mogwai of "Hunted Like a Freak".  Imagine my further delight when I discovered the demo has no expieration date and is *nearly* fully functional.  I am not an expert, and I don't pretend to understand even half of Cubase's full power--but what I *have* managed to figure out, I'm impressed with.  I've truly enjoyed playing with the possibilities.  Again, I extend my thanks to Mogwai and Steinberg for this remarkable opportunity as well as for an overall great album.
1930981
Eric Greitens would be a singularly remarkable person if he had just done humanitarian work on three continents.....or if he had just survived Hell Week to become a Navy Seal 10 years later than his peers and risen through their ranks.....or if he had just studied at Duke and Oxford.  As it is, he has done all this, most importantly, because of his empathy for his fellow man.  This book will definitely make you feel like an underachiever, but that is not Greiten's purpose.  Aside from detailing his insanely amazing life, he challenges us all to make a difference, just as he continues to do with his foundation for vets to perform public service.

This book is as well written as the author is well rounded.  Do not start it late in the evening unless you are prepared to stay up for hours reading it!
2507006
I was expecting total disappointment from Antony on this one. When I first heard "Hope There is Someone" in late 2004, I almost instantly welled up with tears; it was so powerfully, nakedly emotional, so unique and inspiring. I soon soaked up everything I could by Antony, including his various guest appearances on others' albums. And I loved everything he did. It's as if everything featuring his voice was instant gold.

2009's "The Crying Light" was a bit of a rude awakening for me, then. Many people praise that album as either equal or superior to "I am a Bird Now," but I see it as stiff and stuffy, a forced and awkward continuation of familiar themes; a parody of his former glory. It had a few moments of true beauty, but largely it seemed as if Antony was trading the fire of his art for a status as a "mature" artist.

When the single "Thank You for Your Love" was recently released, I felt as if my fears for Antony's fate were sealed. Here was more uninspired mimicry of his older songs: in this case, a more than passing resemblance to the far superior "Fistful of Love," as well as VU's "Candy Says" (which Antony has covered).

I am happy to say, then, that the album "Swanlights" is not well represented by its lead single. While not as daring as I'd like it to be, this new album makes Antony sound fresh again, and thank goodness for that.

Spacious, serene, mysterious, and boasting a wide vocal range--even dipping into the major key! Antony is singing out to the back row once again, something he hasn't done since his eponymous debut. And this one feels very cohesive, even though it's actually quite erratic.

Here's a breakdown of the tracks:

1) Everything is New: A fantastic opener. It's no Hope There is Someone, but thankfully it's not trying to be. Both meditative and explosive, it really sets the tone for the rest of the album.

2) The Great White Ocean: This could be better. I think it really would have sounded great with some more emphasis on drones and ethereality, but instead we get a baroque minstrel-type feel with a cheesy guitar that sounds like it came from The Princess Bride.

3) Ghost: Has the feel of late 60's Scott Walker, a gorgeous mix of light and dark tones. Love it!

4) I'm In Love: This is a strange one. It's peppy and soulful, but the arrangement is hypnotic, and a bit sinister. Quite the ear worm.

5) Violetta: A brief instrumental. Not much on its own, but it provides some punctuation to the album.

6) Swanlights: Psychedelic and very eerie. I wish he would have played around with other songs on the album as he does here (especially track 2).

7) The Spirit Was Gone: A good track. Kind of a meditative tone poem, like the opener. Brief and opaque, but the melody does sound a lot like "You Never Give Me Your Money" by the Beatles.

8) Thank You For Your Love: As a single, this was disappointing. Now that I know that this sound doesn't reflect the rest of the album, though, it's okay to listen to. It's derivative and overly simplistic, but it is nice to hear Antony sounding so joyous at the end.

9) Fletta: A duet with with Bjork. Quirky yet pretty. Lovable and mystical.

10) Salt Silver Oxygen: The lyrics are quite odd, but this track grew on me. It's like a weirder, slightly darker cousin of Ghost. Or like "The Crying Light"'s Everglade redone in the style of his debut album.

11) Christina's Farm: A nice closer. Brings back themes from the first song, but with some added levity and sobriety. Almost like the moment of waking from the dream of the previous tracks.

I'm still hoping that Antony pushes his art further than what he's doing here (is he afraid of drum machines?), but "Swanlights" offers a unique world of sounds and feelings that is a pleasure to inhabit.

I've missed you, friend. It's been too long.
3887648
Very talented.  This group is definitely under-rated.  I wish them the best of success. Hopefully. they'll have another mini-series in the future.
220366
unfortunately, I am not as gifted as I woiuld like to be! It is just beyond me.
1318674
In an age of constant hype, one tends to become de-sensitized to "The Next Big Thing".  Thankfully Franz Ferdinand are here to blow any pretenders straight back across the ocean.  Their formula is fiendishly simple yet clever.  take a bundle of diverse influences, from Joy Division to the Beatles, make them better, construct a humorless, robotic stage presence, MEAN IT, and rule the world.
Their self stated aim is to make music that people can dance to, with guitars, and they fulfill this aim better than you could ever dream.  With an ironically detached, bisexual drawl that only the (presumably genetically engineered) (...) son of Morrissey and Jarvis could rival they sneer their way through the album with pithy phrases and sloganeering that hopefully can change lives and drag pop music out of it's manufactured and/or pointlessly derivative stupor.  The music bounces, charges and stutters along like an angular dervish and the whole effect is so...dancable that you won't be able to stop yourself from shaking along like an epileptic in a lightning storm.
The highlight of the album is of course "Take me Out", a shoo-in for single of the year on both sides of the Atlantic, but the rest of the album hovers close behind in terms of quality, proving this band to be no flash in the pan.
Come in garage rock, your time is up. Franz Ferdinand rule this world now...
929801
I purchsed this album, thinking it would be a fair example of what independants were doing.  i was supprised to discover that the songs were fresh, catchy, and that days later, i still found myself singing the very few lyrics i knew from the songs.  this was one way i could tell this artist 'has it'.

add to that, that this guy can really sing - not just in the rythmic way or hip hop and rap, but he can really sing.  i would expect to here more from him as he progresses, and finds his signature sound.

the lyrics are a bit more real than the kind we hear today from most of the other artists in the genere, so it seems a real artist is fashioning himself some wings.  after hearing this album, and seeing that it was done on a tight budget, i wonder what would happen is he was to record with some real resources at his disposal.

i bought the album, both on amazon, and on i tunes, and i tucked the cd in a drawer...  this could be worth a pretty penny if someone recognises him, and his first album could be a conversation peice to say the least.
1540083
Flash back to hours ago - I was in iTunes and a song of Gavin's was playing. On the side, I saw a song that was newly released so I checked it out to find out that he had an album out and I heard nothing about it! I then began to heavily wonder what it would sound like. I listened to samples once or twice and that wasn't enough. I wanted to hear the full stories.

I was convinced I wanted this (not downloading it, but to get the booklet and to read through it as I listened to the songs). I skipped on his sophomore effort anyway.

So I went to Wal-Mart and spent precisely 12.80 on this album and dashed for the exit. I was in and out in 6- minutes flat.

First off, I'd like to get this out of the way: Beyonce's 2008 disc had a couple of good tracks but was ultimately overrated. I scored it higher than this album. I'd much rather listen to this album to be honest.

If I could go back and lower it a bit, and still keep my helpful votes, I would in half a heartbeat!

Anyway, this disc was refreshing, felt more like an even more stripped down Gavin but after a while, the songs kind of blended together.

I'm on my third (or is it fourth?) play through and "FREE" (you can feel his heart in this one) and "LOVER BE STRONG" stand out the most to me right now. "WATERFALL" is an interesting one but gets pulled down by the repetition of said word. The outro is also a sweet standout. It felt like it was over too quick. It's very quiet. Titled "WHY DO THE MEN STRAY?".

A problem with this album is that it doesn't have the great compositions and blend of just the right catchiness that CHARIOT had, his crowning achievement. Just like Kelly Clarkson's BREAKAWAY, those albums will just be hard to live up to. This disc is evidence.

Maybe the problem was that Gavin didn't even wait a year to produce another album, after GAVIN DEGRAW (I'm guessing) received moderate success.

Considering it *was* released so quickly, this earthy album doesn't seem so bad. I just pray and wish that the next album will have more variation in tempo I guess.

As always, I still respect Mr. DeGraw and the slew of singer-songwriters that really show me something and "keep on keeping on" with the talent cause I'm eating it up!

Now to decide if I should purchase his self-titled sophomore album to complete the collection?

Any ideas?

Production: C
Vocals: B- (fitting for the CD anyway)
Lyrics: B
Length: C+ (short but somewhat fitting)
Replay Value: B- (strangely decent value)

The title to this album is very fitting though. I don't know what Gavin has been going through in life, but this album is 100% "Free" of pop sensibilities.

end note: I credit Gavin for penning 8 of the 9 tracks all alone once again (Indian Summer is a cover) but some of these songs don't have much umph. If you are expecting any CHARIOTS, I DON'T WANT TO BES, JUST FRIENDS, IN LOVE WITH A GIRLS or CHEATED ON MES then please don't look into this record. You will be *sorely* disappointed. It's way more serious than any of his records could ever be. I think Gavin wants to be taken more seriously.

Oh, and *love* the cover art. It fits!
4368842
This is easily the case of an artist having reached the point where he's just using the same proven formula over and over again only with diminishing results each time. We've seen it with Sting, with Prince, many others too, and now with L. Kravitz.
  Unless you're an ultra-die-hard fan, this album has very little to offer. Kravitz's best moments are clearly behind him because this is the second luckluster album in a row that he delivers. Tired songs based on recipes he's done way better before, pseudo-rock songs that are actually mediocre quality pop, pretentious lyrics, oh, and this time he goes from his former "rock n'roll is dead" to "minister of rock n roll". Go figure...
  The whole thing sounds as if he's fulfilling contractual obligations and some songs have a hurried aura about them like they were phoned in.
  I'm sure the fans will (like it happens in such cases) feel compelled to defend their icon but the fatc of the matter is that this is a mediocre and very forgettable album.
  Like one other reviewer noted, the odds that he'll ever recapture his earlier spirit and creativity are rather low, but for the time being that's all we could hope for...
3887350
I only watched this because I'm a big fan of Mel Gibson, who is good in this but underutilized.  Demian Bichir gives a quite wonderful performance as well. I gave this one star for each of their performances. Otherwise.... eh.
2676897
As a fan of Tears for Fears, I've always felt that they were pretty underrated.  They had a fair share of hits, but their best songs were ones that often didn't get as much attention ("Goodnight Song", "Elemental", "Woman in Chains").  I was hoping _Tomcats Screaming Outside_ would continue in the vein of the 90s TFF work.  And while some of it does, Orzabal's often-relentless 90s quasi-dance/bass 'n' drum percussion programming feels soul-less most of the time and only reminds the listener of what is missing from the album--heart.
The first track on the album makes its point that Orzabal has embraced programming that has become more popular over the past few years.  And it's a good track.  But more than half the songs on the album start off or revolve around the same idea in terms of arrangement and production.  Most of these attempts remind me of David Gray's "Please Forgive Me."  "Please Forgive Me" is such a powerful song b/c while it has an uptempo drum beat, Gray's singing and performance is intimate and emotional and the results are incredible.  Orzabal's vocal performance on top of these tracks often seems cold and soul-less which just winds up making the songs not very exciting.  It's no surprise that the best tracks on the album are the ones where the arrangements are given space to breathe such as on "For the Love of Cain" and "Day by Day by..."  "Under Ether" has some good ideas, musically and lyrically, but slowly builds itself up only to really end up going nowhere.  "Dandelion" wants to rock - but it doesn't.  With its slowed-down STP/"Vaseline" guitar riff and boring, silly lyrics ("Hey now, watch out kid/she's blowing you apart like a dandelion."), this song also goes nowhere and its all-too-abrupt ending makes the listener realize this.
The overall feel I have for this album is that Orzabal is not breaking any new ground with his music.  An artist does not have to break new ground though with their music, but Orzabal also fails to create music that can sit comfortably aside the incredible work he has done in the past.  After proving himself a passionate singer and songwriter, _Tomcats Screaming Outside_ is a dissapointment in its rather cold reliance/fascination with programmed, uptempo drum beats.  That said, if you *loved* _Elemental_ and _Raoul & The Kings of Spain_, I'm pretty sure you would enjoy this album.
737297
It is always disappointing when a good author delivers an inferior work, and it makes me harsher than is generally my wont. But in Melanie Rawn's case, stepping old cliches up a notch is unforgivable.
1) She doesn't like her bad characters, but unfortunately can't make us hate them too. I happen to like her villains more than her good guys (which are way too goody-goody in my view), and that's unhealthy. Not everyone can write people like G.R.R. Martin, of course. However, when all the remotely decent people gush out completely undeserved praise for the good guys, I personally start liking everyone who opposes them. If I find myself cheering when the _good_ guys get their comeuppance, something is surely wrong.
Come on, the bad guys are _supposed_ to win significantly and live to see the results. She managed that, marginally, in her Sunrunner series. Not here. A little more dimension to characters wouldn't have hurt either.
2) Plots _are_ predictable. Fine, so I couldn't tell which of the two boys was the evil one. But I was sure he would turn up and be evil. You call that a twist? 'Cause I don't. Just like it was clear as the summer sun that the good girl would not truly fall in love with him, and learn to do without him real fast. Or that the evil victory would turn out halfhearted at best.
And politics? Please, Melanie, don't get into politics. The intrigues of the supposedly perceptive and brilliant are stillborn to say the least. When a girl barely out of adolescence and far-off wastes can foil a (so-called) twisted ruse without half trying, or a couple of kids escape arguably the world's most powerful mage, that makes me laugh.
3) Sunrunner magic was probably the most beautiful type of magic ever described in fantasy. Really, I've read loads of fantasy, but the sheer brilliance of that idea just plain took my breath away. Or the Golden Key paintings -- that was remarkable too. Here, the magic is nondescript. In general terms, that's not a crime. For Melanie Rawn, it is.
I'd just like everyone to be just a tad less beautiful and a tad more human, that's all.
I appreciate the end, by the way. I understand how it must have hurt to make it so, too. Let's just have more of it. Better the author hurting than the reader.
779057
If I can screw something up I usually will.  This camera  compensates for my total lack of ability to take a decent pic. For some reason 98% of the pics I have taken have come out absolutely stunning. When I took it to a family reunion and started taking pics side by side(with my family members using their ultra mega-pixel, high speed dig cams with all the bells and whistles only found on the space shuttle and other advanced technological inventions)it became readily apparent that my pics were greatly superior to the ones they were producing. It was worth the price of the camera to watch them fiddle with  knobs,switches and dials on their cams to try and replicate (let alone exceed) the quality of the pics my 3700 was producing. Not wanting to acknowledge that I had a superior product they blamed everything from atmospheric pressure to the depleted ozone layer for their inferior pics. To make a long story short within a week they had sold their overpriced, over rated dig cams and purchased 3700's  Nuff said.
4891691
While the Clive Davis's and other music industry folks would love you to believe that Whitney's long anticipated 'comeback' cd is aural nirvana by a queen reclaiming her crown, in fact it is a mediocre effort at best.  And more importantly, and sadly, it is a stark testament to the ravaging effects of years of substance abuse and neglect on her once amazing vocal skills.

I wasn't listening for the 'Whitney of old' with her soaring vocals, perfect timbre and stunning control, as some will accuse anyone who dares to question Ms. Houston's efforts.  After all, there are many ways to judge a musician's ability to connect with an audience--- for instance Marianne Faithfull's ragged yet soulfully penetrating vocal style.  Instead I was listening for stylistic maturity, insightful song selection and the willingness to surrender herself completely and vulnerably to the lyrics.

Without these qualities, which are lacking throughout this cd, one is left only able to focus on the degree to which Whitney's vocal talents have diminished--- and they have considerably.

I would welcome a 're-tooled' Whitney Houston.  One who isn't looking to compete with the Mariah's, Beyonce's, or even Mary J's, but who finds herself in the songs she sings, and chooses to honestly relate the joy and pain of her life, instead of making mediocre r&b music that only highlights what she's lost and masks the suffering we know she's lived.
902606
You may have heard that comment by American Idol judges on more than one occasion, and for Archuleta's self-titled debut album, it proves to be the case.

While not a member of the "Arch Angels" fan club, I must say that I came away impressed after just a few listens, especially considering David's lack of recording experience and given the time constraints to get this record out to the eagerly awaiting record-buying public.

I was concerned how the Jive record label and the producers would try to market this kid...a humble, naive balladeer who had struggled a bit with modern dance-pop on "Idol".  Once I heard the album, any doubts I had were quickly dismissed...he pulls off the lite-pop tracks convincingly...they definitely went the right direction with him.  However, I was a bit surprised to find there are only a few pure ballads ("You Can", "To Be With You", "Angels")...as expected, he tackles these not only with ease, but also with sincerity.

The rest of the album consists of slow to mid-tempo groove-based tracks with the typical electronic percussion and handclaps...but it's not so overdone as to take away from the vocals and melodies...nicely done guitars, pianos and strings keep the 'human' factor high.  The formula includes big choruses with lots of doubled vocals (the song "A Little Too Not Over You" is a stand-out example.

As with most records, there are a few things one could get picky about...a production flaw or two, a couple of songs that are a bit weaker in terms of the writing...but nothing so major as to disrupt the flow of the album. and certainly not any fault of David's.  That's to be expected on a rushed record with such high expectations.

David overcomes any inadequacies and every song comes across pleasing to the ears (even the average material will grow on you after repeated listening...at least it did for me).  I never expected to be rating this five stars, but he really did win me over with this effort.

It really is true Archuleta could sing the phonebook...he makes any song sound better than it is.  There was a reason he was one of two still standing at the American Idol Finale.  It's his voice that makes this record...he has quite a gift...and now millions will be getting to enjoy it even more.

Prime cuts:  "Crush", "Touch My Hand", "My Hands", "A Little Too Not Over You", "To Be With You", "Angels".
4122303
I am going to be honest with the amazon costumers out there who are looking for a good quality purchase of music.

16 year old Nick Sterling's album Life Goes On is an incredible achievment. As another reviewer put it "He has already mastered what takes most people decades to do". This is certainly true, and it shows in Nick's guitar playing. The album showcases a hard-hitting guitar sound that sounds particulary unique.

In terms of the songwriting, Sterling probably has some growing to do. Not to take away from this guy's accomplishments, for a 15 year old guitar player, Sterling's has certainly got some songwriting skills, with some pretty tasty guitar lines, but at times his songs seem either a little forced (the title track, Tomorrow) and at other times it sounds like there could be some more expanded chord progressions (Another Day). The lyrics are-well... not great.

Overall, i think that this album's songwriting could certainly appeal to a lot of people. I was especially fond of "sonic laundry" (the best showcase of his guitar skills) and "what can be done" (which seems to have the catchiest riff on the album). However, for anyone looking for a hard rock- pop album with memorable anthems-look elswhere. But if you are especially intrigued by the fact that this is done by a 15/16 year old (like i was) then i urge you to buy this album and maybe you'll like it, maybe you won't. Either way, look for this guy to be on the scene for years to come as i am sure his songwriting skills will improve.