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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Album of 2000, June 22, 2000
This review is from: Audible Sigh (Audio CD)
Attention music lovers: your new favorite band is here. Music is equal parts soul and techinque--expressing one's emotions and using the right instruments and words in the right ways. Bill Mallonee and his Vigilantes of Love have mastered both. This easily ranks as their best work to date (and that is an accomplishment) for several reasons. Mallone's lyrics sound more like personal experiences than stories -- original, intelligent and honest all at once. Listen to songs like "Resplendent", "Extreme North of the Compass" and "Black Cloud O'er Me" and there you are, sharing those same feelings. Musically, this album is more diverse with combinations of folk, rock, blues and Americana, but not country, at least radio country. Imagine a young Bob Dylan doing "Mermaid Avenue Vol. 3." Emmylou Harris and Julie Miller share their talents on the album, too. Fans of Wilco, Matthew Sweet, Neil Young and like musical tastes will surely rejoice. Production by Buddy Miller makes this the best sounding album of VoL's to date. Like most other fans of Bill and VoL, I was introduced by friend (Thanks again, Dan!). I've listened to their music for five years and it still sounds fresh and new. The band paid its dues in poor label support and no publicity for more than a decade. If this album was the reason why, I understand. May this be the decade of success and spoils for the Athens, GA band! Do your part to save the world and yourself: buy this album!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exceptional Work from An Underrated, Gifted Songwriter, February 20, 2001
This review is from: Audible Sigh (Audio CD)
One of the finest folk-rock albums I've ever heard, 'Audible Sigh' represents a gifted songwriter and talented supporting musicians at the height of their considerable powers. Bill Mallonee is a skilled artist with something to say - an heir to Springsteen and Dylan, with equally obvious literary influences to add to his own polished style. Literary listeners will recognize shades of Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor and Jack Kerouac in Mallonee's lyrics. Fans of folk-rock music will come away from a close listen to this outstanding record convinced that Bill Mallonee's name genuinely deserves mention in the same sentence as Dylan's. Finally, listeners who hunger for more than just the shallow, brain-dead humanism of today's chart-toppers will rejoice in the thoughtful, spiritual overtones to Mallonee's work that refreshingly lack preachiness. Standout tracks include a superbly written tribute to Jack Kerouac in 'Hard Luck & Heart Attack', gorgeous harmonizing from Emmylou Harris along with the easy-to-overlook lyrical masterpiece in 'Resplendent' ('Honey, we're all resplendent/Yeah honey, we are all thrift store'), and a haunting, poignant closer in 'Solar System' that will have you hitting 'Replay' again and again. This is an excellent record fueled by a career performance by the famously underrated Bill Mallonee. Exceptional.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of music's best kept secrets, June 15, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Audible Sigh (Audio CD)
After a decade of falling victim to major label neglect and toiling in the indie realm, Bill Mallonee and the Vigilantes of Love are finally getting their due with this great new album. Originally recorded for release on another label, Audible SIgh is finally seeing the light of day thanks to Compass Records. With production by Buddy Miller, and backing vocals of folks like Emmylou Harris and Julie Miller, this album can't miss. Fans of the alt-country/no depression vibe will get into this heavily, as well as those who like music from the world of alterna-folk. Thoughtful lyrics, passionate singing, and a world of musical talent make this disc a must-buy. For a band that has been around this long, I'd hate to call them "best new artist of 2000" but they will definitely be one of the breakout bands of the year on Triple-A and Americana Radio. Listen for them on World Cafe and other great radio!
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