Customer Reviews

All That We Let In

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Four stars is not accurate. I would give it 4.5 stars, but that is not an option with Amazon.

Let me say off the bat that I have had this CD for a few months (promo copy). At first listen, I wanted to throw it out of my car window and scream. The over-production and the arrangements drove me crazy. I had heard every song except for "Rise Up" live numerous times on tour over the past year. In fact, I have heard most of the songs from their earliest rawest forms before the album was even recorded. I felt that a lot of what Amy and Emily were trying to say got lost in Peter Collins' arrangements.

After listening to it obsessivly for a month, it started growing on me. Sure, what happened to "Heartache for Everyone" is a shame. And I miss Amy, her mandolin, and nothing else on both "Cordova" and "Dairy Queen," but they are still great songs.

The lyrics are there -- they are classic Indigo. "Perfect World" and "Tether" (the best track on the album, in my opinion) are some of Amy's strongest songs, lyrically, ever. I would have had Michelle Malone do the backing vocals for "Tether" instead of Joan Osburn (Malone did backup vocals on the November 2003 tour) And "Come on Home," an unusually dark song for Emily, is classic Emily in that it will move you to tears. The finale, "Rise Up," leaves you feeling upbeat, more classic Emily.

All That We Let In is still Indigo despite the accordians, wurlitzers, pianos, organs, etc. Just imagine the songs stripped down (or make sure to get the limited edition with the DVD to hear/see some of the songs live and raw) It still will make you thank some force out there, for the millionth time, that Amy met Emily on that playground back in Decatur, and have brought their music, activsm, and of course just themeslves, into your life. I could have just done without some of the production and arrangements. (I still skip over "Heartache for Everyone" and listen to my boots instead...)

But give it time. I did, and I am enjoying it so much more now. I have been a hardcore Indigo Girls fan since 1989, and I have had every album on or before release date. Not everything is going to sound like their last album or their earlier albums, but you will see that despite everything else, the songs are still Indigo Girls songs.

Let me start by saying that I am a big Indigo Girls fan. I have all their CD's. When I first got this one I was really shocked by the cartoon layout of the artwork through the whole album, but it really is quirky and cute. I think it's a nice change and it goes well with the mood of the album itself.

This CD is full of back to basics with the beautiful harmonies we have come to expect from Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. Overall it's upbeat and much more accessible than Come On Now Social or Become You, two CD's that had to grow on many people. I have taken to All That We Let In within the first two listen throughs and I already know that it's going to be in heavy rotation in my stereo in the coming months.

I have been a loyal Indigo Girls fan for the past fifteen years with copies of pretty much EVERYTHING available from them. "All That We Let In" is probably my favorite album from them with the exception of "1200 Curfews". Their lyrics are extremely well written and the harmonies are beautiful. With "All That We Let In", Amy and Emily remain bards in their quest to voice their opinions and experiences that make the songs theirs, but with such emotion that each song can truly become the song of the listener. There is not one song on this album that I do not like. The title track, "All That We Let In", "Perfect World", "Dairy Queen", can all easily be labled as their best-written songs. The entire album is more upbeat than their past few releases, yet extremely emotional. I have not yet one person who cannot relate to each and every song on this recording.

Is there a more devoted legion of fans than Indigo Girls fans? We buy everything sight unseen (and sound unheard), we see them every chance we get, we light up when we talk about them, we speak reverently even about their misfires. All this for a folk duo with radically different styles and voices.

We are good to them, though, because they're so good to us. The Indigo Girls, through all their various experimentations and forays into fields that were probably best left unplowed, have never been inaccessable, and have never put anything less than 100% of their souls into their music. Check out "1200 Curfews," for example, for a loaded live album that is so generous and packed with great stuff that it feels fresh with every listen.

"All that We let In" is their most cohesive album in years. For a while, Indigo Girls albums and projects were starting to feel like "Emily vs. Amy" - only the occasional harmony reminded us that these two were a band, not a pair of soloists. But now they feel together, united, even friendlier to each other. Even better, the music is joyful and free. It sounds like Amy and Emily (isn't it great how we all feel like we know them personally?) turned their attention away from proving they could punk out (Amy) or write the perfectly-crafted love song (Emily), and just wrote and sang great music.

"All that We Let In" has everything that we love - gorgeous harmonies & melodies, nifty vocal interplay (the title song, especially), fun and occasionally self-effacing lyrics, and that righteous blend of anger and love that they share with the best revolutionary musicians. Listen to these songs and marvel at their progress as writers - could Amy have come up with anything as wonderfully direct and poppy as "Heartache for Everyone" 15 years ago? Could Emily blend a love song with environmental issues as slyly? Each song is its own little treasure, a gift back to their fans.

It's not a perfect album, I guess. The centerpiece "Tether" rocks when it should ROCK, and true to form, their endearing faults - Amy's arcane lyrics, Emily's mixed metaphors - occasionally take center stage. But we love them for that, too. Thanks again, Indigo Girls! See you on tour!

I have been a fan of the Indigo Girls since the 80's. I never thought the Girls could top Rites of Passage - still one of my favorite albums of all time. I cannot say All That We Let In 'tops' Rites of Passage, but it does offer the most musically comprehensive, mature song writing from the Girls in many years. I love this album more every time I listen. Just close your eyes and listen to the instrumental intricacies of Fill It Up Again.

Okay, I am more aligned with Emily Saliers' writing and musical style, but Amy Ray's compositions are also strong and classically satirical. I was not thrilled with their last few albums, all of which tried too hard to make a statement or send a political message. This product is all about the music! Overall, this is an excellent album, worthy of top honors. In my opinion, their best work in years!

Indigo Girls have always released groundbreaking material within their fifteen-year career. "All That We Let In" is no exception. They remain one of the few modern-day folk artists that have impacted listeners as heavily as those in the old days. Their simple, yet powerful melodies are only part of what makes this album great. Occasionally, they add a touch of pop or rock in their folk sound. Such variety gives the album the added flare that makes multiple listens more enjoyable. The overall theme clearly states their true passion for music. Knowing that it's not about the fame makes their art more credible.

Their guitar sounds stay strong throughout every song, keeping the signature sound that fans love intact. It blends perfectly with their vocal harmonies, which are always expressive, and the remaining instruments. Their upbeat songs are hardhitting but not raunchy while their ballads are calming. The amazing vocal arrangements, solo and duet parts, places them at a higher standing. Their poetic lyrics remain wonderful as meaningful. Listeners can feel the depth in their performances to these words. Such strong performance keep them on top where they've always been, namely their hit single "Perfect World".

"All That We Let In" is a great album for any Indigo Girls and/ or folk music fan. Those looking for true quality music will be very pleased with this album.

Having been witness to the Indigo Girls beginnings in and around the Atlanta music scene since 1989, I have grown to respect and follow every aspect of their career. While true, some of their songs may not appeal to everyone (like all musicians), they have never sacrificed who they are and the direction their music is headed. With the release of their ninth album, I can say as a true Indigo Girls fan, that is probably their best piece of work yet. For everything they are as accomplished musicians and story tellers, what has always appealed to me about their music is the power of the lyrics. They are masters of musical imagery and lyric.

Amy has always been edgier. Her songs a bit darker, her delivery harder. Amy has often made me want to shout to the world about injustice and move toward change. Cordova, is an achingly haunting song, harking back to the work she did on her solo cd Stag. If you don't have it yet, get it. She has forged new ground, seeming to soften a bit, but maintaining her edge. Dairy Queen and Heartache For Everyone both have less of the electric edge that she is known for, but that has been replaced by infectious hooks and phrasing. My personal favorite though is Perfect World. A song that moves like the water it talks about, and has the best guitar part since GO.

Emily, on the other hand has been called the romantic and the softer of the two. Over the years, many of her songs have brought me to tears, filled me with hope and made me yearn to sit down and hear every story behind every song. Her work on this cd is nothing short of amazing. I never thought she could surpass Power of Two, but she has come close. With Come On Home and the heart breaking All That We Let In, Emily has painted a picture that even after dozens of hours listening, still takes me to new heights and shows me new things.

I thought their last cd Moments of Forgiveness was their best to date. But after listening to All That We Let In, I stand corrected. Though they can't be compared, and must be looked at like two different pieces of work. This new cd, is certainly my favorite. And owning pretty much everything they have ever done, thats not easy to say.

a remarkable achievement in music. This disc is filled with powerful and emotional songs that truly come to life in a live setting.

These girls have worked hard through the years to constantly deliver their uniquely lovely and enduring music to those who will listen.

They've become masters of the genre that they created.

The first thing I needed to do with this album was open it, just so I could get past the almost cartoonish cover. The strangely vivid colors, the silly font, and the goofy face depicted on the tank in the background make it look like a childrens album.

Once I got past the cover and played the CD, all was forgiven.

This album is stronger and runs a broader range of musical styles than its predecessor, BECOME YOU. It is not as heavy as COME ON NOW SOCIAL (which turned off a lot of fans of the Girls' early work), but it has enough kick and firepower to hold its own.

This is the first original studio release since NOMADS INDIANS SAINTS that opens with an Emily-penned song. "Fill It Up Again" is a great opener. I suspect this song will be a real event in their live shows -- it features a great break in the refrain in which Emily echoes the title with no musical accompanyment. It's clear that in the upcoming live shows, the audience will be shouting out this refrain!

Emily's other songs are equally well-crafted, most notably the album closer "Rise Up" which could be her best song since "Get Out the Map". This is a very uplifting album closer with some great guitar and vocal work that makes you want to start the album all over again. "Something Real" features Emily at her poetic best, painting a very vivid picture of an almost poingant reunion between two old friends.

Amy truly shines on this album. "Perfect World" is outstanding. "Heartache for Everyone" has a very cool off-balance beat that stylistically separates it from everything else on the album.

But without question, the HIGHLIGHT of the album is the incredible "Tether". It clocks in at over 6 minutes, and I could listen to those guitars playing off of each other for a lot longer. And the beautiful vocals ("Can we bring it to-GETH-er") are just chilling. This song is in the same ilk as "Caramia" as far as being heavy, strong and powerful without being loud and fast. Amy truly outdid herself with this masterpeice.

The album proper is only 46 minutes long -- a little short in this day and age (unless you're a John Mellencamp album ...), but this means there is very little fluff on the album. No matter though, because this is offset by a bonus 6-song live DVD that comes with the album. The DVD includes live versions of 4 songs from ALL THAT WE LET IN, plus Galileo and Kid Fears. All 6 songs are performed as acoustic duets -- no band, just Amy & Emily on stage. It's nice to get alternate versions of these songs.

One final item of note about the artwork: The back cover features an artistic rendition of Amy and Emily which does a great job capturing the intensity in Amy's eyes and the warmth and seductiveness in Emily's.

The album is very good. It has a couple of drawbacks -- there are a few hackneyed lyrical expressions, and a few of the songs sound a little too similar to songs they've already recorded ("Dairy Queen" is a cross between "Starkville" & "Yield" from BECOME YOU, and the "All That We Let In" sounds almost exactly like "Philosophy of Loss" from COME ON NOW SOCIAL). So in the end, it's not quite the same quality as RITES OF PASSAGE or CONS. But this is definitely among the top 3 or 4 Indigo Girls releases.

4 and a half stars, round it down to 4.

Excellent CD. Some of the songs don't really hit you the first time you listen to them, but once you hear them a few times and know the words, you're hooked. If you like the Indigo Girls, you won't be dissapointed (as if you ever are by them).
"All That We Let In" is such a beautiful song, the lyrics are so beautiful, it just sweeps you in. So is Cordova, although on a more somber note. Dairy Queen is such an uplifting view of a not so happy situation (end of relationship). I can go on and on. Get this CD, put it in your car and take a long drive.