Customer Reviews

4 O'clock

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As active as ever, Emilie releases yet more new material for her die-hard fans to rip their teeth into which is continuing down the 'Opheliac' path regarding style and genre.

Comparisons with her previous EP are inevitible, and this EP is the clear winner, for there are no 'repeats' (unless you put 'Organ Grinder' in that category, but this could only previously be found on the Saw III soundtrack) and this EP flows and makes more sense as a whole. Far more atmospheric than the Liar/Dead Is The New Alive EP. Generally speaking, this EP follows the exact format as its predecessor, giving us a few original tracks, some remixes from Opheliac and some random extras.

The main focus is the title track, which makes this whole EP worth buying, regardless if you like the other tracks or not. Emilie has consistently tried to make her sound essentially Victorian Gothic, or, in other words, to bring us to her Victorian Asylum; this song succeeds with honours. The lyrics work on two levels: the literal and metaphorical. Metaphorically it tackles insomnia, but literally it takes us back to the Victorian period and the situation that women endured in lunatic asylums. With its regular chimes, brooding harpsichord and thoughtful vocals, this quirky, gothic half-ballad treats us to a haunting listening experience.

'My Fairweather Friend' is somewhat of an echo of 'In The Lake' from the L/DITNA EP. It's a bit of a filler that would have suited her 'A Bit o' This & That' album. The upshot of this EP is the fewer remixes, but even so, these remixes are rather good, particularly the Filthy Victorian Mix of 'Swallow' (one of the firm favourite songs from 'Opheliac' of many fans). The 'Swallow' remixes rely heavily on the extroverted bass lines which gives them a refreshing boost. The remix of 'Gothic Lolita' is genuinely freaky. As the title of the remix suggests, less emphasis on music is displayed and is replaced with frightening sound effects with a little and faint violin playing throughout.

Many fans will be pleased to find 'Organ Grinder' on here, previously available, but hard to get hold of, nonetheless. For those unfamiliar with it, it is a fast paced electric violin piece in the same vein as the 'Unlaced' album.

The words from 'Asylum' is purely Emilie reading out excerpts from her upcoming book - a shameless plug (why not, on your own CD?) which people are not likely to appreciate. They are read out with the same production as her poetry from the 'Opheliac' album. Her acting voice can be a bit grating, and the sound effects and her leaning away from the mic can make actual listening very distracting.

There is a hidden track as track nine (it starts off sounding like it continues from the book reading, the song actually starts 40 seconds in). A cover of Alice Cooper's 'Is It My Body'. Performed with Harpsicord and electrical sounds and too quiet vocals, it can be quite entertaining, but there is a good reason that it is merely hidden and not advertised.

Here is the tracklisting:

1. 4 O'Clock
2. My Fairweather Friend
3. Gothic Lolita (Bad Poetry Mix)
4. Swallow (Filthy Victorian Mix)
5. Swallow (Oyster Mix)
6. Organ Grinder
7. Excerpts From "The Asylum"
8. Words from "The Asylum"
9. Is It My Body? (hidden track)

Overall, I would say this EP is well worth buying. The title track is excellent, and the remixes memorable. The book reading and the second track let this disc down a bit but it is a fine addition to an Emilie Autumn collection.

1. 4 O'Clock
2. My Fairweather Friend
3. Gothic Lolita (Bad Poetry Mix)
4. Swallow (Filthy Victorian Mix)
5. Swallow (Oyster Mix)
6. Organ Grinder
7. Excerpts From The Asylum
8. Word From The Asylum
9. Is It My Body

Emilie's works are pretty much concept albums, and the overall theme of this one - as the artwork, with its rats and leeches, and the general song titles - is the Asylum. Emilie likes to touch on madness, but the specific Victorian insane-asylum nature of this one certainly comes through. I don't think it's quite as strong as it could have been, but it does show.

4 O'Clock is best listened to in the middle of the night, as fits a song about insomnia, and is really atmospheric. After listening to the whole album it makes one think of sitting in a large, empty room in a large, empty house where rats are crawling all over the floors. My Fairweather Friend is also a good song, in my opinion, but coming right after that one it can't possibly stand up. Its scope is more narrow and sounds more like what you listen to when stuck inside on a rainy day - it's also restless, like insomnia makes you restless, but it's not the same kind of restlessness at all, and I think it should have come elsewhere in the album.

I'm not generally a fan of remixes, but I very much liked these. I think the Swallow remixes are something of an improvement on the original song, and if nothing else, make it darker, and give it something of a club beat. Gothic Lolita really stands out - the background music is almost entirely removed, but the violin that occasionally comes up is faint and almost scratchy, like it's being played by ghosts in one of those other giant rooms. The whole song is like a creepy confession. I like this version better than the original, also.

Organ Grinder is almost like filler, but such good filler it is - there are no words to imagine what's going on, just the music. Then you have the excerpts from her book, which are another reason why it should really be listened to in the middle of the night. They can't really be listened to in the daytime, because then you'd want to move around and get frustrated with the tracks for not being songs. The images are good, if they suffer from Emilie's trademark excesses, and I do think their main purpose is to suggest a backdrop for the setting in which all the songs are taking place - that introduction to the Asylum.

I am actually quite fond of Is It My Body. It's done very well, even though it's short, and sums up the whole asylum feeling nicely. Still, this album could have been more put together, and since some of the tracks - Gothic Lolita, in its own way; the excerpt tracks - aren't easy to listen to when you're in the mood to just listen to music, it's not an album you can like all the time. Likewise, if you only have a mild interest in Emilie Autumn and don't really care much for an elaboration on her asylum themes, you aren't going to like it.

How much are you willing to dish out on an EP? If the sounds are priceless to you, then you might enjoy paying for this one. Still, this is what you are getting.
1. 4 O'Clock
2. My Fairweather Friend
3. Gothic Lolita (Bad Poetry Mix)
4. Swallow (Filthy Victorian Mix)
5. Swallow (Oyster Mix)
6. Organ Grinder
7. Excerpts From "The Asylum"
8. Words from "The Asylum"
9. Is It My Body? (hidden track)

As far as the songs themselves go, I have to say i am smitten by them. The poetry - not so much. i know that some people really love the taste of it and think it is something to throw up their hands and rave about, but I just can't do that. It really isn't that good and it really isn't that creative - tome the poems are just filler.

Still, there is some stuff here that does have a good taste. I personally like a few of the songs because they have that "autumn in Transition" song, and that sound is a good one. Granted, the woman can sing and she is a great force. I just can't put myself out there and say "get it" when i know that this is poems, some sloppy songs put together, and that is about that.

It is for those hardcore fans - not for the casual ones.

This is the second printing of this single ep... unlike the first which was a digipack, this one is in a cd case and contains 9 tracks instead of 8. If you're a fan, you know what to expect. If not, Emilie is a perfomer who does kinda electronic industrial with a violin and victorian kinda twist too it. sometimes very elegant and proper, sometimes angry and offensive. Definately different then 99% of the stuff out there. Her cds tend to have VERY low print runs, like 3000 and wind up fetching quiet a few bucks on the secondary market untill they re-release them, if they do... but each pressing is different, be it artwork, the cases, or the tracklisting. Contains excepts of emilie reading from her upcoming book (she's multimedia too) on two of the tracks.