Gene - Libertine (14 tracks) +Album Reviews

As good as it gets

Tyro | Brooklyn, New York USA | 01/09/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I loved Gene's first album, "Olympian." Every article ever written about them mentions the fact that they were often compared to the Smiths. The comparison threatened to sink them, the way the Pulp comparison sank Rialto. So they changed their style - less witty, more personal (and somewhat weepy) at first, then more political. I kept wishing they would go back to the biting, self-mocking lyrics of their early stuff. Saying that Gene are like the Smiths is... a great, great compliment! This album combines the personal lyrics with the wit and ditches the politics. Best of all, Martin Rossiter's songwriting skills are at their peak here. Songs like "Does He Have a Name?", "A Simple Request," "We'll Get What We Deserve" will follow you down the street after one listen. And you'll recite the clever lyrics to yourself. But the real prize here is "Let Me Move On," Gene's best-ever single, probably one of the best Britpop singles period. In fact, it hasn't been released as a single in England yet, and is upcoming here. It is shimmering pop, with heart-tugging lyrics. If you like Britpop, buy this. You'll thank me."

GENE, its good to know you!

martin | burbs of Seattle | 09/05/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just popped the Libertine CD into the player. Had the luck to see Gene live at Bumbershoot, in Seattle over the labor day weekend. They played in the EMP Sky Church! Until now, I had not known that Gene existed- a shame, because their current album is super, and they gave a great concert. It has been said that Rossiter is compareable to Morrissey. I'm a fan of Morrissey, and I believe each has its own merit. Rossiter holds his own and Gene comes off with very strong song writing and sense of maturity. If you have the chance, go see Gene in concert- you won't be disappointed. I will be checking out their previous albums to Libertine. Gene was a sweet find to me!"

Sorry to say, but this is one of my favorites

C. brown | 01/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"at first, yeah i have to agree that i didn't like this cd. then i listened to it a couple of times and i really began to enjoy it. i put it up there with my all time favorites. actually, gene can't do wrong in my eyes and i am sad that they aren't together anymore. i will say that i am fortunate that i saw them perform as many times as i did and hung out with them. give the album a shot.. listen more than once and you'll love it too!"

Moving In A Slightly Different Direction

cagey | 04/29/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"It took a while for me to like this album. I had to play it 15-20 times before I really "got it". The only two songs that I immediately loved right away are "Let Me Move On", which seems to be everyone's favorite, and "Walking In The Shallows", a bouncy pop exercise, which I heard on college radio and which got me to buy the CD in the first place. In contrast, I liked their debut, "Olympian", only after a few listens.

One big difference from "Olympian" and their 2nd album "Drawn To The Deep End" is that Steve Mason's guitars have been pushed back quite a bit, the dramatic solos aren't there and that's a shame since I think he's one of the most underrated guitarists in pop today (notice I didn't say rock as in RAWK - Mason has much more style and finesse). Check out "Truth, Rest Your Head" from "Olympian" or "We Could Be Kings" from "Drawn To The Deep End" for exactly what I'm saying. But here, the piano, not the guitar, seems to play a much larger role on many of the songs.

The melodies eventually rise to the surface: "You" has a breezy quality, similar to "Let Me Move On"; the shuffling noir-ish "Spy In The Clubs" (one number where Mason's guitars reappear) and "Somewhere In The World" is a quiet,introspective closer. Many of the tracks are similar thematically, going over fraying or broken relationships.

So not a bad album but it seems Gene are content to move away from their hip, witty shorter songs to more mature, longer stretched out tunes. Nothing wrong with that.

*** 1/2 stars."

Gene-Evolved

Paul Kendall | Los Angeles | 07/22/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Well, I would say this is a very mature sounding Gene album. It's certainly very good, sounding like a logical progression from Revelations. If you just know them from Olympian, you might find it a bit of a let down. This is a different CD.

My favorite track is "Walking in The Shallows" a bouncy, breezy, dirty tune. "You" is another outstanding track, as are "Spy in the Clubs" and "Does He Have a Name?".

I've really been a fan of Gene for what seems like ages, and I'm happy with how they've progressed."

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	Gene Libertine Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock Track Listings (14) - Disc #1 Let Me Move On [] Does He Have a Name? A Simple Request Yours for the Taking Is It Over? O Lover With Love in Mind [] Let Me Rest From Georgia to Osaka [*] We'll Get What We Deserve Walking in the Shallows You Spy in the Clubs Somewhere in the World
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