Customer Reviews

Absolutely

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When a band has released so many awesome albums, you always wonder if the next one will live up to the others. Sister Hazel has "ABSOLUTELY" done it again! This album has the perfect blend of upbeat sing-a-longs as well as their classic ballads that you can label as soundtracks to your life. I am hooked on this cd, and can't even pick a favorite song. Of course "Hey Hey" is catchy and "Beautiful High" makes you want to hit the repeat button, but then you want to get to "This Kind of Love" still. Wow, there are so many great tunes. Thank you Sister Hazel for staying true to yourself and producing another amazing album!

When I first listened to "Somewhere More Familiar," "Fortress" and "Chasing Daylight," Sister Hazel did not have to grow on me. I loved just about every track when I initially heard them. That did not happen with "Lift," which left me disappointed.
Fortunately, the Florida quintent has returned to previous form in their latest release, "Absolutely."
Gone is the intentional intrspection and melancholy mood, making this album much more happy, lively, and carefree. Ironically, the tracks work better at pulling at your heart, soul, and mind. It leaves the audience revived and inspired instead of sad over all the imperfections of life.
This is not to say the five-force tandem does not let us look within a little. This is apparent in "Tear by Tear" and "Everything Else Disappears." While the former has somber lyrics that help the audience shed pain, the latter forces us to smile and move on with life.
Probably my favorite is "Where do You Go?" which is an obvious lament by someone who has lost everything to a hurricane. Ken Brock's vocals almost bring you to tears as he sings, "I can't find out how she got inside to drown us ... I'm not so sure anymore what's next/or if there's anything left for us ... where do you go? what do you do? when all you have left is hanging on you?"
One of my complaints for most albums, of the past and present, is that the group only had one two three good songs, and the rest were [...]. That is not the case for Sister Hazel. All their songs have a life of their own. Moreover, they do not get in a rut. They proove that a musical group can be innovative and creative both lyrically and musically. They mix the acoustic and electric guitars so well that the sound is rich to the ear just as a perfect chocolate cake is to the taste buds.
True, the themes are still the same: love, regret, renewing a lost love, etc., but they know how to say it different and better.
This is evident in the oustanding tracks like "Mandolin Moon," "Beautiful High," "Where do You Go?" "Meet Me in the Memory," "Truth Is," and "One Time."
I have always said I would rather go blind than deaf. For one thing, if you go blind, the other senses compensate for the loss of sight. That does not happen when one goes deaf. Even worse, if you go deaf, there is no way to listen to a Sister Hazel album.

I wanted to wait until we really listened to this album to review it. The jury's back and this album is awesome - their best ever.

In our family of six musicians, each one of us has a different favorite song. I love "Meet me in the memory" with words that resonate and a melody that plays itself over in my head all day. The kids love "Tear by tear", a melancholy story of loss and depression, with un underlying uplifting message. They love the music and "words that are like a poem."

"Beautiful high" is addictive and the harmonies engaging. I'm not sure what the other reviewers are talking about in criticizing the harmonies or the mixing of this album. We just don't see it.

This is another great by one of the great rock bands of our time - discover Sister Hazel before the rest of the world does. If you are used to buying albums where you find yourself skipping tracks, or feeling let down after the first 3 songs, this album will shock you with its depth. You'll be hooked through to the end. If you don't own any Hazel yet, this is a great place to start. Then work your way backwards with Chasing Daylight and Fortress. What's not to love about Sister Hazel? It's no surprise this album is at the top of the alternative rock lists right now - this may finally be their breakthrough.

Sister Hazel is back with their sixth album. Lift was a bit of a departure in style from Chasing Daylight and Fortress, but in Absolutely, the band goes back to the tunes that made Fortress and Chasing Daylight such big hits. While I enjoyed Lift, even lead singer Ken Block said the band didn't like playing songs from that album on tour as much as they did songs from their previous recordings. The thing I love about all SH albums is you can listen to them all the way through... they have a great flow and feel. I think Absolutely will eventually be my second favorite SH album -- right after Chasing Daylight. If you like some of the SH hits like "All for You," "Change Your Mind," "Happy," and "Your Mistake," than this album is for you. If you've never listened to Sister Hazel but like the Goo Goo Dolls, the Counting Crows, Richard Marx or Edwin McCain, then plop down the money on this album, and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Absolutely Track Listing:
1. Shame - will likely be their second single... I really think Shame will turn out to be a popular song on this album, but I think it sounded better live than on the album.
2. Mandolin Moon - first single... you can listen to this whole song (and Shame) on Sister Hazel's MySpace page... catchy tune, good vocals
3. Meet Me In The Memory - great song probably my favorite on the CD... Richard Marx helped write it... look for it on YouTube
4. Beautiful High - when I first heard this song, I thought it might be my favorite on the album, but now it's probably at best fifth -- that's how strong the album is.
5. Hey Hey - song really picks up, SH varies slow and faster songs well on the album... this song is almost playful in nature and reminds me a little bit of their song "Superman"
6. Hello It's Me - nice bridge between the sound in Hey Hey and Tear by Tear
7. Tear By Tear - classic SH sound... expect an acoustic version of this to come out in the future... one's already out on YouTube
8. Where Do You Go - great lyrics... Block and the band have some songs that you can remember the words long after and this is one of those
9. Anyway - heard this song live, too at Isle of Palms... great song with a terrific beat
10. This Kind Of Love - slow song, deep lead... I think Drew is the lead singer here unless someone else joined them for this song which is definitely possible.
11. Truth Is - weaker song compared to some of the others... not a big knock on this song... the other songs are just better.
12. One Time - more classic SH sound
13. Everything Else Disappears - almost has a country feel to it... strong lyrics and a great way to end the album

Rumor has it there's a bonus track, too.

Sister Hazel has turned out some fantastic, yet little known, music since "Somewhere More Familiar..." was released. As they themselves have said, Sister Hazel has gone "back to the basics" with "Absolutely" by returning home to Florida to write and record demos and indeed, the feelings from their earlier albums come back into play, only better this time! Upon putting the album into the CD player, it's instantly easy, relaxing, and enjoyable to listen to. The lyrics are strong and honest. The instrumental work is feeling and comfortable. The two combined create an album that is full of emotion and beauty and familiarity. Going back to basics doesn't mean going backward at all in this case. It's coming back after experiencing a different part of life and appreciating what they've always had and always loved and creating something amazing. It's that loved, classic sound of Sister Hazel that has alaways set them apart that comes through in "Absolutely".

Personal favorites: "Hey Hey", "Truth Is", "Beautiful High", "Mandolian Moon", and "Little Black Heart". "Little Black Heart" is the hidden track is definitely worth it.

Also, Sister Hazel recently appeared a survey on the website Rate The Music, which is pretty fantastic considering it's a website that sends out surveys asking people to rate popular music. Good things to come for Sister Hazel...

I had looked in local stores for this CD and could not find it. I knew Amazon would have it and they did. Shipping was fast and reliable. I am very satisfied with the CD and the purchasing process.

LOVE THIS CD. BOUGHT IT AS TRYING TO CATCH UP ON MY COLLECTIONS OF SISTER HAZEL. THEY ARE TRULY TALENTED AND AMAZINGLY GIFTED MUSICIANS WHICH ARE INTO THEIR FANS AND DELIVER A GREAT PERFORMANCE EVERY TIME. NO DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THIS CD. LOVE EM, LOVE EM, LOVE EM!!

Besides being a fantastic live band, Sister Hazel is perhaps the only other band in my universe besides U2 to churn out great music on such a consistent basis. This album is simply spectacular. Not their best (BUY FORTRESS NOW) but one of their most complex.

Here's a look at my favorite songs.

First off, "Truth Is" is by far the best song they have ever done. Lyrically deep, musically propulsive. This is the best of Sister Hazel. Truth Is, I can't get enough of this song. Put on a pair of headphones and prepare to be blown away.

"Beautiful High" is another of their great accomplishments on this album.

"Where Do You Go" is a heartbreaking ode to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

"Tear by Tear" a heartfelt if perhaps forced ballad on sadness.

"Anyway" is seriously kicked up and shows the musicianship of this band, which is unsurpassed. Ken Block's lyrics here are wonderfully unconventional.

I have been a Hazelnut since I first heard "All For You" over a decade ago. I have purchased every album since and have loved most if not all of the songs. Lift however, was a disappointment- too much saddness. Makes me wonder what state of mind the band had when writing. But thank goodness the boys got their groove back with Absolutely. From the first play, I fell in love with the upbeat melodies and there was a return to the funky, blusey sound I first loved about Sister Hazel.

"Tear by Tear" makes me tear up (no pun intended) with both sadness and hope. "Hello, its Me", "Shame" and "Little Black Heart" all get me to roll down my windows and sing out loud and I loved "Mandolin Moon" so much that it was my Myspace song for months. Lastly is "This Kind of Love", which is my absolute favorite song on the album and will be my wedding song- though my boyfriend doesn't know it yet. Good job, Sister Hazel, can't wait to hear what's next!

Sister Hazel has done it again. This is a great album with something for everybody. Their first release off the album, Mandolin Moon, is a fun song and completely addicting! The thing I love about Sister Hazel albums is that you can listen to the entire album without having to skip over songs because they're all fantastic. Hey Hey, Shame, Hello It's Me are some of my favorites....along with Everything Else Disappears, a wonderfully poetic song about meeting your soulmate. I highly adivise you to check out this CD. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!