| All Artists: Elbow Title: The Seldom Seen Kid Members Wishing: 2 Total Copies: 0 Label: Universal Uk/Zoom Release Date: 1/6/2009 Album Type: Import Genres: Alternative Rock, International Music, Metal Styles: Indie & Lo-Fi, British Alternative, Europe, Britain & Ireland Number of Discs: 1 SwapaCD Credits: 1 UPCs: 0602517489905, 0602517640986, 602517640986 |
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Search - Elbow :: The Seldom Seen Kid
 | Elbow The Seldom Seen Kid Genres: Alternative Rock, International Music, Metal There are few things in life quite so liberating as the opening track on an Elbow album--they're like airlocks between the plainness of the outside world and the elaborate melancholic heave-ho that you are likely about to ... more » |
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Amazon.co.uk There are few things in life quite so liberating as the opening track on an Elbow album--they're like airlocks between the plainness of the outside world and the elaborate melancholic heave-ho that you are likely about to submerge yourself in. Following predecessors "Any Day Now", "Ribcage" and "Station Approach", "Starlings" opens their fourth album The Seldom Seen Kid rising from a bed of tumbling electronic subtlety like a depressed Atari game loading up, adding bare touches of piano, glimpses of ambient guitar, out of body background vocals, an understated pulse and a wisp of strings, before--EXCELSIS!--a fanfare avalanche of horns crashes the gate and elevates things to gasping palatial heights, before Guy Garvey's inimitable gravel tone and wrenchingly poetic reinterpretations of the everyday announce their arrival proper. It's astonishing, by far the most progressive moment on the album and if anything it sets the bar too high. But even when the pace dips, and songs like "Mirrorball" and "Weather to Fly" don't distinguish themselves quite enough, their textural peerlessness remains. This is a beautiful sounding record. Their collaboration with Richard Hawley may be more of a curiosity than a thing of beauty, but the highs, the riffing cross-stitch of "Ground for Divorce", the desolate grandeur of "The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver" and the enlightened string-laden anthem "On a Day Like This" (like their own Sound of Music--only substitute the Alpine peaks for a Manchester high-rise) number amongst the best of their career. --James Berry Similarly Requested CDs
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CD ReviewsQuality That Cuts No Corners C. Bradley | Elkhart, IN | 02/28/2010 (5 out of 5 stars) "There are many qualities of The Seldom Seen Kid that must be appreciated.
1.) Elbow fill space with such perfection. It seems every beat, every syllable, and every phrase is calculated and prescribed just the right instrumentation and fill. Not every gap is filled with predictable guitar strums, hums, or piano doodling. If any instrument repeatedly fills space, it will nearly always take on a different sound every time. "Some Riot" is characterized with a scraping, synthesized bass sound that nearly shaves your scruff off when wearing headphones that then retreats to an eerie rumbling. "Mirrorball," which is possibly the "best" track of the album, denies a cramming instrumentation and instead relies on acoustic space, snare rimshots, and a simple piano/guitar harmony to create such a beautiful melancholy. "The Fix," on the other hand, employs several voices, harmonies, and instruments to create a menacing, frolicking feel when the song closes out. 2.) Vocals are quality! Fans of Coldplay will be surprised to find a singer reminiscent of Chris Martin... but with a technically better voice: a well-placed and relaxed tone; no weak falsetto to change between ranges (typical of Coldplay), impeccable intonation, not to mention an impressive upper range in full voice (as in the chorus of "One Day Like This"). 3.) Musical knowledge. Elbow refrain from a company front attack from the get-go. Instead, they plan the peak of their songs for maximum effect (as is evident from the lengthy tracks, which are atypical of many bands who have nothing left after three and a half minutes). They often add instrumentation throughout the song to do this so as not to throw it all out there from the start. There's also an evident understanding of modes. I'm always impressed with the note-play in "The Bones of You," which toys with minor/major tonalities and often employs zig-zagging melodies ("But image on image like beads on a rosary, pulled through my head as the music takes hold"). Elbow are obviously rich in influence as well. Take the tracks "Grounds for Divorce, "Weather to Fly," and "The Fix," for example. None seem to be produced by the same band, yet each have a distinct sound. I certainly recommend The Seldom Seen Kid for its knowledgeable musicianship, its thoughtfulness in creation, and (duh!) because of its enjoyable nature! What a great find." |
