Customer Reviews

To All New Arrivals

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

 

 

...to all new arrivals... that is to say, those who may not be so well acquainted with the band, perceptions of this new album may not be so gloomy. I have never owned, listened to, or previously purchased a Faithless record before, and have only been mildly acquainted with some of their major dance tracks of years past.

This album was purchased after I saw the amazing clip for 'Bombs'. Without knowledge of the prior recordings of this band - and having absolutely no desire to trawl through their back catalogue - I find this album fantastic. It is quite clear that Faithless are seasoned musicians. You can always tell!

And yet it's not overdone either. I particularly enjoy this album's subtlety, especially given its frequently forthright, running social and/or political commentary on some tracks. I often associate albums with 'messages' with heavier styles of music - angry records that scream angst, anger, and victimisation. What a difference it makes to wrap commentary within the confines of melodic, beautiful sounds. It actually delivers the message more effectively. It strikes the right balance. It also strikes me as the perfect record to listen to in the evening.

The perception I have gleaned by seasoned fans of Faithless seem to be that this album is a so-called 'musical departure' for the band, and consequently some sort of let down given much anticipation prior to its release. Yet at the same time, experimenting with new realms can merely serve to attract new fans and admirers. I would certainly count myself among that lot.

If you're a seasoned Faithless fan reading this, I could almost hear you saying something like "take a listen to their earlier stuff and see what you think then". Perhaps I will do just that. Yet I do not forsee their earlier records detracting from my interest and admiration of this album.

One cannot begrudge any artist's attempts to try new styles. If such so-called 'musical departures' serve to attract new fans to their fold, much less provide any degree of listening pleasure, then it has indeed, in my humble opinion, well and truly served its purpose.

Quite incredibly but true, Faithless were about to split. They even released a greatest hits album and started an massive tour. While on tour, they realized they had more to give and eventually penned a few more songs for a new album. Without a doubt Faithless is an excellent live band, and they are full of fascinating musical ideas also. However they work best on catchy uptempo dance tracks like "We Come One" "God is a DJ" and "Insomnia". Some of their latest albums had less of that though, but when they finally released an album full of dance music, "No Roots" it wasn't deep enough and also became a lackluster. Considering that they had so little time to create this one, you may think it's bad. But actually it's far from bad, but it's very exprimental and meliodic and may not apply to all fans but still defenitely good enough. Maxi Jazz, a devout Buddhist will as always give his best lyrics and Sister Bliss & Rollo produce a great diffrent sound then the average record today. Ambient melodies and creative instrumentations are undeniably beautiful. What this album lacks though are hooks and danceable melodies for the pop charts. Apart from old albums this one is full of collaborations.

Harry Collier apear on the first song & single "Bombs" which is a slowpace and much more penetratable then the avarage song here. Second song is a lazy remake of The Cure's "Lullaby" Robert Smith sings the lyrics. "Music Matters" with Cass Fox is the most catchy song. A dreamy slow tempo with a decent hook. Perfect for chillout. The next two songs are hard to understand. "Nate's Tune" and "I Hope" are both riff driven songs without much lyrics, they will almost sound the same for 2 and 5 minutes. Beautiful but repetitive. Dido comes back on "Back This Day" a decent slow tempo, but lacks a hook. Collier and Maxi makes a brilliant duet on the title track "To All New Arrivals" where Maxi deals with povery, aids, and wars in the third world. Heartbreaking. "Hope & Glory" with One Escimo, another duet with Maxi with great lyrics with world beat/trip hop mix. Cat Power is the guest on "Kind of Peace" a slowtempo, also without no real hook. Last two songs are very good. "The Man in You" is jazzy, many fans may like this one cause it's something new. "Emergence" got jazz piano, with great melody. It does't have any lyrics, but it's a real party starter.

Overall, It took me a while to enjoy this. It's a little uneven, with no real standouts like "Insomnia" or "God is a Dj" but as a concept it got much better songs then their last 2 albums had, however some songs are plain boring this time and there are many collaborations for good and bad. I'm really glad they didn't split up since they're a brilliant band, on the other hand I still wished for more catchy uptempo's. As musicians though, Faithless are fantastic and there is no denying what they are capable of. I don't think there will be many new arrivals based on this album but plenty of old fans will enjoy it as always.

I've been a fan of Faithless since Reverence, and this album fits right in line with their progretion as a band. It doesn't have the over-the-top loops Rollo has done for dance floor anthems, but it has some of the most beautiful and poignant songs for our time. The world is at war, babies are being born into a very uncertain future, and the music reflects this. I've come to know Faithless as artists who write songs about what's happening in their worlds -- and that becomes a part of my world.

I agree with other reviews elsewhere and, after listening to this several times, I actually returned it, and thats never happened before with a Faithless album. I have followed them from the beginning, eagerly awaiting each new release, same thing here, but I was gutted. Without trying to sound too much like the anti-christ, I can cope with several songs about babies...but nearly every track? no, it's too much. The whole album sounds like having a Children in need TV special rammed down your throat. Surely this is not what Faithless are about? ok, maybe it is now. If that's the case then they should have split up as originally planned if this is the best they can do.

The over-reliance on Dido is another factor and her track is absolutely horrendous. Elsewhere only "Music Matters" sounds like the Faithless of old however, as usual, even this ends before it has a chance to really get going. Faithless have lost track of what made them so special, and popular.

Maybe next time? we'll see. With "No Roots" Faithless tested my patience, with "To All New Arrivals" it has snapped and i've lost interest.

Just a thought: They should bring back Jamie and Zoe Johnston and dump the "chill-out" feel to their most recent work, the market is already flooded with these types of albums, usually ending up in the bargain bins. In 3 months time, "To All New Arrivals" will also be there.

What a waste of talent.

I bought this album because I am a huge fan of Faithless and it was their only CD that I didn't own, but It's not their best. It's ok, but nothing really special. I would highly recommend "No Roots" or "Outrospective" over this album, cause they are much better.

These artists are evolving.

This collaborative effort combing Electronica, Dance, Rap, Reggae and so on is refreshing.

The music (melody & orchestration) is outstanding.
The lyrics (though very reflective of the world today) are too politically based for my space.

That said, there are at least six songs on this release that warrant a purchase.

Their next compilation should be awesome.

I've seen some review that say this one is a bit of a disappointment because it lacks some of their usual dance club anthem-type of songs, which may be true. But this CD is just as melodic, sonically lush and thought provoking as the rest. Definitely worth a listen -

As a big fan of Faithless, I was eager to pick up this release that I haven't been able to find in stores. Though it isn't their best work, and a little let down from No Roots, I do enjoy it and heartily recommend it. If you are looking at Faithless' work, I might suggest going to Sunday 8PM or No Roots first.

Faithless is one of my favorite bands. Reverence and Sunday 3am have been on my playlist since i first heard them. But since then their works have degraded and with this release it has hit rock bottom.

What's sad is that the music itself isn't even that bad (though it's been done before, and feels lifeless), what just drags it into "terrible" is the inclusion of the kid (i'm guessing Sister Bliss's child, i didn't investigate though the CD jacket includes info about the kid... simply put i don't care). I can understand the inclusion, but it breaks up the album, in terms of flow and since the music is already not great, the overall experience feels like you're listening to someone's time with their kid, and you're paying for it...

But, on it's own, the music still does not reach the power and variety that the first two albums did, or the albums prior to this.

A delicious rhythmic journey that never lets up. Criss-crossing along trip-hop, pop and the dreamy vocals of Cass Fox, Dido and Cat Power. Even Maxi-Jazz makes every spoken word count here.