Search - Controls :: One Hundred

Interesting sound - A keeper

01/22/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I enjoy this album alot. I try a lot of new music, from rap to alternative, to techno, to whatever. A lot of times I get a new CD and it doesn't last very long in my car changer. If a CD lasts, then it must be pretty good I guess. This one has been in the car changer for about two months now, which is a good indication that, at least to me, it is still listenable after several times through.I enjoy her voice, the tracks do tend to sound similar, but that's ok because the lyrics keep me interested. I'd recommend this one."

An Effective Blend of hip-hop with sweet, atmospheric vocals

04/04/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A very simple recipe has been developed to make a popular band these days: (1) Take one pretty young girl with a nice voice, and (2) add one hip guy with a couple of turntables, give him a bunch of old records and a name that starts with "Dub," and voila! Instant record deal. Any idiot could do it, and many do; fortunately The Controls do it very well on their debut album One Hundred. Vocalist Ann Colville and music-man Dub-L effectively blend everything from hip-hop to classical with sweet, atmospheric vocals, ultimately ending up with something that sounds a little like Edie Brickell at a rave. In Spain. Nowhere is this more apparent than in "Terrified of Nothing," probably the best song on the album. While none of Colville's lyrics really stand out as being even notable, she definitely has style, and she sings with the kind of soul that makes any words she says sound like poetry. Dub-L, despite the stupid name, also lends a helpful hand in the success of the album by demonstrating his record-mixing prowess and, more admirably, with his experimental use of such live instruments as the oboe, strings and even a nord (whatever that is.) Several of the songs on the latter half of the album teeter on that thin line between listenable and blah, saved only by Colville's sassy, addictive vocals. This, plus the occasional scratches and strings, will make comparisons to Portishead inevitable, which isn't exactly a bad thing. If you're going to sound like another band, it's not a bad idea to sound like one of the best bands around. And The Controls do find ways to set them apart from the crowd. A cameo by guest-rapper Aesop Rock, who tongue-twists his way around lyrics like, "Melancholy masquerade, cast amongst the braiding of belligerence... I stay special agent till the sky falls," is enough to at least keep One Hundred's head above water in a sea of sound-alikes."

AesopROCK & Dub-L RIP IT!!

08/12/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ever hear of AesopROCK? Well, if you haven't you soon will. He's featured on 2 of the cuts on this fantastically produced album and he rips it. He's an emcee of course branching from NYC, but if you're more into the sultry voice of Anne who makes up 1/2 of The Controls, then step into trip hop bliss. Dub-L, the musical wizard of The Controls is obviously a hiphop vet and is now transcending musical boundaries and setting the stage with this cros-genre introduction to loveliness. The beats are on point, Anne is on point and guest appearances by AesopROCK make this debut a worthy purchase. Big things are coming for this conglomerate, i can SMELL IT..."