Author Topic: Mini review of the album  (Read 15191 times)

fantastical

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Mini review of the album
« on: May 28, 2011, 03:42:35 am »
Hi, I've been a longtime lurker on here.

I found a mini review of the album, thought you guys might wanted to check it out.





Ok, mini-review of the disc. I've listened to it for the past two days. It's been a rough disc. It definitely doesn't grab you straight away. It has a very dreamy sound throughout the CD, and is very analog sounding, and I'm not sure that's a good thing...it definitely deters from the disc at first, but I've partially grown to the sound. On some tracks I just want to crank the treble up to be able to "hear", but I've not and listened to it as-is.

I Don't Want To Be A Bride - one of the 'hits' on this disc. It incorporates a great mix of drums, acoustics, and the children's choir. The analog sound on this track works great!

London - this song sounds like it's been recorded ocean side, (probably just the analog hiss however), and opens very slowly, with a great build up to the chorus. One of my favorites on the cd.

Fairweather Friend - the best produced track on the disc in my opinion. The layers sound natural and the vocals are clear through, and she incorporates the children's choir in this one again.

Hear The Bells - a dark and haunting song. It sounds straight out of a 70s-ish science fiction movie (perhaps). Lots of echo going on. The piano sounds like it was recorded in a large hall, and there are lots of layers of instruments and vocals. Overall, I like this song, it's unique and reminds of a trip on acid (not that I've ever done that -- but I think the song might be good to trip to if you're into that)

Dear California - I love the grungy muddy plugged guitar in this one, along with the uppity drum beat. It's a catchy tune that oozes 70s era. Some cool layers with vocals and instruments that really spread across the "stereo" spectrum.

Tall Tales For Spring - this sounds most like the old Vanessa to me, I would compare it to a song like Prince, piano driven, with a good drum beat in the background. Production on this one is great too, with clear vocals, almost no analog hiss. It also does have it's dreamy sounding parts with echoes and layers too.

Get Good - decent track, very melancholy.... though not one of my favorites. This might work better live in concert.

The Marching Line - this track is used in the making of video. Very mono sounding, but I kind of like it. Again, it has the dreamy sci-fi bridges, and it sounds very rough cut and demo-like.

In The End - definitely my least favorite song. I love the way it starts with some awesome strings, but then......it's downfall begins. The press kit didn't include any lyrics to any of the songs and the lyrics are very hard to understand since they are buried beneath a piano and string arrangement with heavy reverb with more than a dash of analog distortion/flatness. This song sounds like it was randomly thrown on the CD as a filler and was recorded with a Playskool tape recorder. I guess it's an interesting way to end an interesting disc. If it had a bit more production value, especially with the vocals, it might be a lot better.

Overall, this disc won't be for everyone, and I don't see any of the teeny-bopper "A Thousand Miles" fans jumping into it and loving it. It also ends with you wanting more. The disc only clocks in at 37min20secs.

Also, Amazon now lists the release date as July 26th.


http://www.alanismorissette.info/viewtopic.php?t=51449&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=45

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Re: Mini review of the album
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2011, 04:01:48 am »
Wow.

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Martin.

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Re: Mini review of the album
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2011, 04:03:36 am »
Jealous of that guy!

VaderDawsn

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Re: Mini review of the album
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2011, 04:25:18 am »
fantastical - Thanks for sharing the review you found.

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Re: Mini review of the album
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2011, 05:14:02 am »
Another one...

Quote
Next month, piano songstress Vanessa Carlton will return with her first album in four years, Rabbits on the Run. I was lucky enough to get an early listen to the album, and I can positively say that it is very, very good.

Completely self-financed by Vanessa herself, and recorded analog style on tape with producer Steve Osbourne (KT Tunstall, Peter Gabriel), Rabbits on the Run is the least-commercial and most organic sounding record of Carlton’s career. The piano-pop you’re used to from her can be heard again on the album’s lead single “Carousel”, but for the most part, Rabbits on the Run is far more abstract and atmospheric.

There’s a multitude of different styles on the album, but they’re all woven together to create one, cohesive body of work. The gorgeous “Dear California” sounds like a 1970s road trip condensed into a summery song, while “Tall Tales For Spring” contains one of the most enrapturing melodies Vanessa’s ever created. “Hear the Bells” is one of the album’s standouts, with haunting production and an eerie, ethereal vocal delivery.

The beautifully honest “I Don’t Want to be a Bride” is another shining moment, with Vanessa singing about not wanting to tie the knot (as you probably gathered from the title). “But I don’t wanna be a bride / apologies to your mother / I wanna be your girl / and spend this life with you / but I don’t wanna wear white / when you know it’s too late for that / but can we keep the ever after?”

The album’s ominous closing track “In the End” is just downright unsettling. Backed by a chilling orchestra and vintage keys, Carlton’s filtered vocals echoes through like something you’d hear in some kind of bad, lonely dream — it’s something you won’t understand until you actually hear it for yourself.

Rabbits on the Run marks a true evolution for Vanessa Carlton. She’s retained some of her old pop sensibilities, but overall the record really takes her sound into a whole new sphere — both vocally and sonically. Long time fans should appreciate the maturity and growth in her sound, but most of all, Rabbits has the opportunity to attract a whole new group of Carlton lovers, who may have previously found her old music too poppy.

Rabbits on the Run drops on June 21st through indie label Razor & Tie. Check out the music video for the album’s first single “Carousel” below.

http://www.theprophetblog.net/preview-vanessa-carlton-rabbits-on-the-run

HearMyBells

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Re: Mini review of the album
« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2011, 06:11:10 am »
Very interesting : ). I think the first guy missed the point of In The End

sarab

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Re: Mini review of the album
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2011, 09:55:17 am »
as most people miss the point of V herself.
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WhiteRabbit

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Re: Mini review of the album
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2011, 11:39:33 am »
Wonder why they're all hatin' on In The End.. I think it sounds interesting.

Byoungforever

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Re: Mini review of the album
« Reply #8 on: May 28, 2011, 02:08:35 pm »
Haha. One review where the person really didn't like the album, and another who thought the album was great. HAha. I'm sure it's great. I love the songs I've already heard. :)
All I hear is the music.... and beauty stands... before me... and love comes back... around again, it's a carousel my friend.... :)

sarab

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Re: Mini review of the album
« Reply #9 on: May 28, 2011, 04:33:49 pm »
Wonder why they're all hatin' on In The End.. I think it sounds interesting.

The second person said "unsettling" which I take as a compliment though!  I think if you felt nothing then it would be an awful song.  It seems to be one that will give us chills!
~Sara~

WhiteRabbit

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Re: Mini review of the album
« Reply #10 on: May 28, 2011, 05:11:10 pm »
Wonder why they're all hatin' on In The End.. I think it sounds interesting.

The second person said "unsettling" which I take as a compliment though!  I think if you felt nothing then it would be an awful song.  It seems to be one that will give us chills!
Exactly! Vanessas unsettling doesn't make it awful. Maybe it will be kinda like She Floats

sarab

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Re: Mini review of the album
« Reply #11 on: May 28, 2011, 05:48:01 pm »
Wonder why they're all hatin' on In The End.. I think it sounds interesting.

The second person said "unsettling" which I take as a compliment though!  I think if you felt nothing then it would be an awful song.  It seems to be one that will give us chills!
Exactly! Vanessas unsettling doesn't make it awful. Maybe it will be kinda like She Floats

yea or the wreckage, which is morbid and beautiful!
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coyote_revolver

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Re: Mini review of the album
« Reply #12 on: May 28, 2011, 07:09:23 pm »
If it's anything like The Wreckage/She Floats, I'm sure I'll be a big fan of "In the End" :)

These reviews make me so excited for the album and at the sime time really bitter since we now have to wait another month.

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Re: Mini review of the album
« Reply #13 on: May 28, 2011, 08:40:12 pm »
Wonder why they're all hatin' on In The End.. I think it sounds interesting.

The second person said "unsettling" which I take as a compliment though!  I think if you felt nothing then it would be an awful song.  It seems to be one that will give us chills!
Exactly! Vanessas unsettling doesn't make it awful. Maybe it will be kinda like She Floats

yea or the wreckage, which is morbid and beautiful!

Yeah... I think that's why they don't like In The End. Or at least, that's what they (meaning people who've already heard it) say in their review.

I think it's a dark song. After all, V mentioned that it was a slowed version of TTFS

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jackoajl

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Re: Mini review of the album
« Reply #14 on: May 28, 2011, 08:58:46 pm »
The first thing I thought when I see this was "great, a leak" but then I swa that was a review. I really need to hear the album now! waiting another month is not an option for me, I really need to hear this album XD
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