Elysian Fields - Queen of the Meadow (11 tracks) +Album Reviews

I love this CD!

Jolene Barber | 03/14/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I haven't fallen in love with a band like this since I discovered Mogwai! The moment I heard Queen of the Meadow I went out and bought it -- and then I bought La Mer Enfortunata, which isn't an EF album but was made by the band's two main contributors, Jennifer Charles and Oren Bloedow -- and then I went out and tracked down Bleed Your Cedar. Wow! I rarely even write reviews, I'm just writing this because I love it so much. Really!This music is very svelte -- kind of jazz meets alternative meets symbolist poetry meets pre-Raphaelite painting. Baudelaire would have loved this. Jennifer Charles has the sexiest, smoothest, velvetiest voice I ever heard. The music is intelligent, eclectic, at times bordering on genius. There's nothing like it.Some people seem to prefer Bleed Your Cedar, but I think Queen of the Meadow is the better album. Cedar still shows derivative traces of pop and rock, IMHO. Queen is more understated musically, but I think it's a more complete or evolved statement of the band's aesthetic. There are one or two clunkers on the album -- like Fright Night -- but those are easy to forget alongside Black Acres (definitely the best track on the album), Dream Within a Dream (the Poe poem set to luscious jazz lounge music), and Cities Will Fall.The best way I can describe my feelings about this album is like this: most music I listen to while doing other things -- working, eating, driving, etc. This album I love so much that I don't profane it by giving it half my attention. I only listen to it at night, alone, when I can give my whole attention to it. It's that good -- that pleasureful -- that great."

"Night cracked like a skull..."

Jolene Barber | Colorado City, Texas United States | 02/07/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the coolest band! Love the lyrics. Like dark, sexy jazz, almost. Jennifer Charles has the sexiest voice EVER. Yes, there are a few songs I tend to skip, but the rest make up for it. "Black Acres" and "Barely Recognize You" are the best, along with "Cities Will Fall", an apocalyptic love song. Gorgeous! The lyrics are dark, even graphic; images of convulsing moons, collapsing cities, and consuming burial grounds will leave "a trail like Dillinger" in your head. I can't wait to hear Bleed Your Cedar."

Best yet from this awesome young band

paw | California | 11/15/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"elysian fields rocks! etherial grooves with intelligent lyrics...the band takes the best from the NYC avant-garde rock and jazz scenes to create an original, sensuous sound. This album is clearly their best yet!"

Wonderful ethereal jazzy...

Collin M. David | Putnam Valley, NY USA | 11/27/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a wonderful album, far more melodic than their first. One song even uses major chords, which is a first for this generally slow, lilting, sensual band. While I'll always be in love with the first, this one is moving in there quickly. Great lyrical rhythms and such....There is one terribly sore spot on the album, though: Fright Night. The lyrics would seem as if they were written by someone's 8 year old niece. Aside from this, which I suggest skipping before you even hear it, so as not to lower your opinion of this wonderful band, the whole thing is very powerful and emotive. (Every band has at least ONE unbearable song, no matter how excellent they are. Have some fun... make a list.)"

Elysian Fields: they are their name.

K. Franklin | Yonkers, NY | 11/03/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Syrup is delicious, but only in small doses--though beautiful and mystical, Queen of the Meadow may be hard to listen out repeatedly. Nonetheless, I love how Jennifer Charles's voice can move from a scratchy murmer to a clear, livened soprano within a single note. Most of the songs flow like a sea of thick chocolate, while others take on an ubeat, jazzy feel comparable to 70's slowrock. At times it even carries a folkish feel, as in "Rope of the Weeds."

By far, the strength of Elysian Fields is in the vocals. Jennifer's voice is hypnotic and carries the feeling that the name "Elysian Fields" suggests: a dreamy isolation of slumber and hedonism. One downfall of the album is that the simplistic guitar strums and even more simplistic percussion at times isn't enough. Many songs could use additional layers.

Peaks of the album are "Black Acres," where the original lyrics float with a haunting cello and organ accompaniment; the swingy "Bend Your Mind," which received much radio play in Europe but probably never the US; and "Dream Within a Dream," which holds a Wizard of Oz-like dream versus reality magic. Oren Bloedow takes the vocals in "Queen of the Meadow," which is a nice male diversion but perhaps comes too late."

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	Elysian Fields Queen of the Meadow Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock Track Listings (11) - Disc #1 Black Acres Bayonne Bend Your Mind Tides of the Moon Hearts Are Open Graves Rope of Weeds Dream Within a Dream Barely Recognize You Fright Night Queen of the Meadow Cities Will Fall
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