CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS
Lobby => Music and Recordings => Topic started by: LFF on January 06, 2015, 03:12:20 PM
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(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/815k3tr7%2BjL._SL1417_.jpg)
In the age of countless copycats of Rhianna, Lady Gaga, and other pop “artists”, it’s rare that I grab my phone to shazam a song – and this is coming from someone who mainly listens to NPR while in the car. Early one morning I hear a great song that is not only catchy, but the vocals convey an almost brutal emotion of honesty and sadness. Catchy songs are easy to find but finding one that conveys emotion is also rather rare. That’s when Tove Lo caught my attention a few months ago.
Now that I have had a little bit of down time, I finally managed to open up this CD and give it a good listen. Initially I feared that this album might be one of those where only one song is good and the rest of the album is pure filler. That’s not the case here. The album is nothing short of great pop music albeit tailored for a much more mature audience. Seriously…almost every single song is great pop music.
From the track listing it’s rather obvious that this album is a concept album following the path of a failed relationship, something which most of us have experienced at one point in our life - some of us, sadly, more than once. As a result, a lot of these songs can carry many a sentimental meaning for us and these songs certainly resonate loud and clear on some notes, especially with Tove Lo’s honest and emotional vocals. The wicked and almost cynical lyrics also add a nice layer to the music as well. Some of you may also relate to those aspects.
The production value of this album is actually extremely good. It has a smooth, very polished presentation and it actually sounds decent. Yes, the mastering is loud BUT it’s not smashed to bits. There are actual quiet parts in certain tracks. Yes…some songs actually have dynamic range! The overall sonic presentation fits well with the genre and, with the volume turned down a bit, it does sound quite good on headphones. Overall, this is one of the better albums I purchased last year which I have listened to more than a few times. The weakest part of the entire album, in my humble opinion, is the last track – a remix of her single “Habits”, but, even this remix has proven to be extremely popular in certain circles.
Highly recommend you guys listen to this album!
MUSIC
9/10
SOUND
7.5/10
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You lost me at "pop music"! :P
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The single was so exceptional I am quite curious for the album experience.
That single just surprised me. Thankfully Florence Welch is not the only gifted female Pop vocalist.
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You lost me at "pop music"! :P
:)p13
Give it a chance. It's actually quite good.
The single was so exceptional I am quite curious for the album experience.
That single just surprised me. Thankfully Florence Welch is not the only gifted female Pop vocalist.
:)p6
Agreed. "Habits" caught my attention from the very first few seconds and it was a song that just played in my head over and over until I found the video on YouTube. Thankfully "Habits" isn't the only good song on the album. My other favorite is "Not On Drugs".
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I kept an open mind. I gave it a chance.
But...no.
:vomit:
Keep it coming, though! I'm ready for your next installment. :)p1
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Tried it too. Listened two thirds of the album. Not bad but not my cup of tea .
Thks for the recommandation. I like to discover music I don't know :money:
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I kindly request an alternative pick.
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You know what, I gave it a chance and I enjoyed it! Surprised the hell out of me. Maybe I'm a pop guy after all? I doubt it's going to make it into frequent rotation, but I'm glad I got it!!
Thanks Luis!
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I also thought what I heard was pretty good.
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I would play that all day long ahhh yea.
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:)p13
Give it a chance. It's actually quite good.
:)p6
Agreed. "Habits" caught my attention from the very first few seconds and it was a song that just played in my head over and over until I found the video on YouTube. Thankfully "Habits" isn't the only good song on the album. My other favorite is "Not On Drugs".
I just pressed play on Spotify. This reminds me of the XX on Dance Hall beats with a bit of Lykke Li. As long as I do not experience the typical Pop-formula, not bad.
The vocalist really knows how to use her voice. I think the producer knew what he was doing.
P.S. The lyrics could be worse. This is not Rammstein "Pussy" so-bad-it's-good. There is a story and concept to this album, predictable but well enough thought out.
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I kept an open mind. I gave it a chance.
But...no.
:vomit:
Keep it coming, though! I'm ready for your next installment. :)p1
You may prefer this version : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLTi5NDb7Yk :)
Go to 1:35 :)p5
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Indeed great pop. Breath of fresh air. Thank you for the recommendation.
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I actually ordered this album from the library and got it today. It is actually a pretty good album and I do like the tunes and her voice is not bad. It is pretty fresh compared to other mainstream pop/dance/electronic music. Doesn't use cheap, ghetto, annoying one note digital synths like lot of crap does you hear on the radio.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hHZnvjCbVw