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Regina Spektor Far

Column: CD Reviews  |  Date Published: Wednesday, 8 July 09   |  Author: Katy Hall   |     |  2 years, 7 months ago
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     [Sire]

Similar to that of Begin to Hope, every song on Far is a ticket into the eyes of Regina Spektor. Her delicate exploration of moments navigates listeners through human philosophy on Blue Lips and the pleasures of memories on Dance Anthem of the '80s; the characters weave together with Spektor's ethreal voice their thread. Her diverse vocal range and dancing fingers on piano have only strengthened, and all her quirkiness remains. Using four producers along the way, the album is remarkably succint in its delivery and the sincerity is present in every song. Far is a spectacular moment in what hopes to be Regina Spektor's long career.



Saint Deamon Pandeamonium: [Frontiers / Riot]

Two or three albums like Pande-amonium are released worldwide every week, so the trick for us listeners is to weed out the chaff and get to the wheat. This isn't always easy - the general rule of thumb for bands like Saint Deamon is that their instrumental dexterity is a given, as is the heavily-accented vocalistic hilarity offered by their singer. Where the variations begin, and where the war is won and lost, is in the song department, and I'm happy to report that in this respect these particular saints are indeed blessed. Sitting on the hard rock side of Euro power metal, the likes of the tremendous Way Home points to a bright future for this Swedish outfit.

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The Horrors Primary Colours: [Remote Control / XL Recordings]

Stovepipe mannequins The Horrors have, out of nowhere, released one of the best albums of the year. Not entirely original or inventive Primary Colours is a sonic eardrum buzz belonging somewhere between Psychedelic Furs in 1984 and Jesus and Mary Chain in 1986. Very specific, but also very delicious. Lots of reverb, cavernous drum echo, manicured distortion and plenty of long black fringes. Who knows - they might suffer the same indignity as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and be a fuzzy blip on the radar. But if so, then we should at least thank them for the glorious sweaty leather rockers of Mirror's Image and Who Can Say and for having the balls to release an eight minute single - Sea Within A Sea. Bravo.

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Tiki Taane Past Present Future: [Dirty Dub]

Former Salmonella Dub frontman Tiki Taane takes dub to a new level of sophistication whilst making a strong cultural statement. His debut album is a collaborative effort featuring a variety of musos; songwriters and vocalists with Tiki playing a part in each song. Opening with a haunting spoken word M?ori welcome, the pace steps up to a wicked mix that combines the haka with tribal rhythms. There are cool beats aplenty, especially in Now This Is It, which are sure to set hips gyrating in sync. The ladies make a splash with smooth female vocals, particularly Julia Deans from Fur Patrol in Our Favourite Target. The CD contains two versions of Always on My Mind which was a huge hit in the Land of the Long White Cloud. The title track Past, Present, Future celebrates the M?ori tradition of recording history through song, mixing strings and haka cries with the taped voice of his late grandmother. An album of great depth and beauty.

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TZU Cover Up Motel: [Liberation Records]

Cover Up Motel is a rerelease of the acclaimed TZU album Computer Love with an added bonus remix version of all the tracks. Burning Up touches on the subject of how drugs destroy the lives of our loved ones. All Falls Down gives us a sombre, yet realistic perspective of society. We Got The Feeling, Get Up, and Step With The Pressure are sure to get the blood pumping and is guaranteed to get the crowd moving. Get out and get this CD not just because it's awesome, but because I said so. DIRECTIONS: Album may sound better after Happy Hour at your local. If head continues to move in a bopping motion, consult your physician.

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