Search - Black Box Recorder :: England Made Me

Twisted Nursery Rhymes with a Pixiesque Backdrop

Little Old Me | 06/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Black Box Recorder is a hidden treasure and their first album, "England Made Me", is by far their best work. A hauntingly shy voice, behind the low tones of a variety of instruments, make up the collection, harvesting and provoking the silly thoughts of morbid children: Life is Unfair, Kill Yourself or Get Over it ("Child Psychology"). Each song on the album, possesses its own charisma, sometimes playing on the ideas of death and decay and other times relishing is mischevious childhood fantasies. "Girl Singing In the Wreckage" is a ballad of a young woman examining her very state of being, acknowledging the sad normality of her existance and at the same time, inventing a sense of mystery about herself. The track "England Made Me", weaves a tale of a disturbing characters who admits to 'sleeping with the enemy before betraying both sides'. For the poet in all of us, the lyrics are infactuating. For the musician in all of us, the tunes are somber and delightful. One can expect Black Box Recorder to take you from your bedroom in the attic to an enchanted pixie-garden, where the faeries read H.P. Lovecraft, steal cars and smoke cigarettes until dawn.
- Jonathan H."

An album of acquired taste

Little Old Me | 05/24/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In an ideal world music like this would be the mainstream whereas N'Sync would be constantly rejected as they try to get a recorddeal. Then again, in an ideal world I wouldn't be single... But I digress. What I really wanna say is that this album is unique. It's unique because it is lowkey, understated and thoroughly devoid of pathos:- & quite honestly, when a certain band actually manages to remind me that I can enjoy music which focuses on these very three traits I just have to applaud them. When I first put the album in my stereo I expected a diverse collection of styles & sounds. Instead, I was taken aback by the album's simplicity, by the fact that it doesn't take more than a really great female singer (Sarah Nixey), an undistorted electric guitar & occasional drumbeats/bellchimes to make enchanting music. Admittedly, the single "Child Psychology"'s stark message feels a little out of place within Luke Haines & John Moore's lyrical subtleties that:- Along with their melodies:- create a pensive & often eerie atmosphere as symbolically depicted by the English beach photographed in the sleeve. As most good albums this one also works best when taken in one piece as it truly sets a contemplative mood, like when you take a really long drive to the sunset but the feeling isn't romantic but rather bittersweet. Unsurprisingly, the bonus songs actually add to the album & save it from its only minus:- Brevity. That & the fact that it contains no less than three (!) coverversions ("Up Town Top Ranking" just doesn't work, sorry) but other than that it's a winner. For an acquired taste, that is."

Brilliant Disturbed Pop

Little Old Me | 02/18/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you're like me, you've been waiting for a new Auteurs album for the past couple of years. Thankfully, Luke Haines he's seen to it to release a couple of side projects- this being one, and the other Baader Meinhoff. Where this is different than typical Haines musings is in its lack of big 70's guitars and hooks. Black Box recorder is lush pop. It's mostly sung by Sarah Nixey, but Haines provides harmonies and background vocals on most of the tracks. England Made Me could be the ultimate rainy day pop gem. I can't conjure up meaningful enough words to describe this album. Child psychology and the title track are the two best cuts, but nothing else disappoints. You owe it to yourself to buy this album!!"