Customer Reviews

Better Version of Me

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

 

 

this album elevates deep into the stratosphere with track 6: the contents of lincoln's pockets. it's an immortal pop tune: unmistakeably tuneful melody, strained yet endearing vocals, a clever harmony, a breakdown--and like the best and most audacious pop songs, it returns to the top. rm is capable of genunine poetic moments in their music: their lyrics stumble in and out of time, creating their own rhythm that often goes against the beat of the drummer and even our anticipations. "lincoln's pockets" is no exception. pop music: it's beautiful but a bit silly. and this song is precisely that. when cathlin sings "slammed to the back of your head/you've never been hit before" music transcends its silly pop (yet endearing) field of familiarity. and suddenly, this little pop ditty is everything; it is the world of life and death; a thoughtful meditation on, well, everything.

it's my early vote for the best pop song of 2001.

other notables: artificial light contains some inventive drum playing by william, as the bass drum jump in sync with cathlin's chorus. really nice. also the last two tracks "spit and fire" and "hell and high water" all but demand the repeat button.

a fine effort. they say that rock and roll is a bit like poetry. these three poets really make that synthesis sound authentic. it's not just about words, is it? it's still rock and roll--music. and, damn, rainer maria really experiment with the possible synthesis.

Atropine will be the most haunting song you hear all year... until you hear Seven Sisters, that is. With lines like "the light in my eye is so sharp it cuts the blue right out" and "do you ever hear what the stars are saying to you?" respectively, you won't find a better album in 2001. Caithlin De Marrais' voice will wrap around your brain and not let go until the final cords on "Better Version of Me" are complete.

If you like Rainer Maria... check out Tanya Donelly.

this album got me into rainer maria, and is still my favorite. The vocals throught the album are nothing short of beautiful, and mesh with the music perfectly. The album enters loudly with "artificial light" and "thought i was", before dropping to the cold, sagging melodies of "ceremony" and "seven sisters"- one of the highlights of the album. "save my skin" is not weak by any persepctives, but doesent stick out particularly. "the contents of lincons pockets" is quite possibly the dumbest thing to ever insert into such a brilliant CD, and is the reason this album got a 4. Kyle cannot sing, there is simply no way around it. he sounds somewhat like a sick pre-teen at the height of puberty on vocals. He doesent do so bad on backup. But just when you think that things are going downhill, the album cranks it down into low gear and strings together "atropine", one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs that i have ever encountered. The album lifts back up again for "spit and fire" and "hell and high Water" before ending- both are songs of particular quality, especially "hell and high water". though nothing really competes with the solemnety of songs like "atropine", the traditional indie stlye of switching quuckly and fluently in pace and tone keeps the album fresh and difficult to wear out. one of the better albums i have heard in quite some time, with the exception of the pre-teen singing, that is, this album stays melodic enough to be beautful, but never goes so poppy or redundant that it gets old.

This album is one of the best I own, one of my very favorites of all time. I first heard of Rainer Maria when my friend downloaded "Artificial Light" and put it on a mix. I was immediately intrigued by not only the poetry of the lyrics but also the music (catchy but not in an offensive way) and the vibe of the song itself. I always think of songs in colors; this one was dark with bright flashes of light. Soon after I bought A Better Version of Me, and let me tell you, it only gets better after "Artificial Light," which is the first track. The lyrics of each song are unwaveringly insightful, original, fascinating, and introspective. I can't tell you which is more beautiful and haunting: Caithlin De Marrais' voice, or her bass. My absolute favorite track is "Atropine." On it, De Marrais sings of that intense and futile longing which all of us know well: "Have you got any magic tricks for me/'Cause my baby is in the ground/And she won't come back now." The bassline of that song is so amazing that I want to just dive right into it and drown. All of the tracks on this album are wonderful, but if only for "Atropine" (which I simply can NOT get enough of), please buy this CD. It's worth ($)....

Currently, I have it ranked about #4 (of close to the 200 '2001' CD's I've heard so far this year). Opening track: Artificial Light is stellar. One subperb masterpiece! It is so good, you'll want to listen to it over and over again. Track 2: Thought I Was is even better. One thing very noticeable already in this album is how well they change tempos at the drop of a hat. Track 3, the album cools off a tad. No biggie because Track 4: Seven Sisters is just as good as either of the first 2 songs. This one is a bit slower and adds a nice change to an already great CD. 3 of the first 4 songs could rank in the Top 20 songs of the year so far. Track 5 isn't bad either, a faster number that bounces back fresh from the smoothness of the earlier track. This tune could be in the Top 100. Now sit down. This album has been excellent so far, and if it were to end right now, it would still be a 5 star album. Track 6: The Contents of Lincolns Pocket is better than anything on this album. One reviewer ranked #1 of the year and I won't argue with him. Tracks 7-9 are very good and end a great album nicely. This album should be selling like crazy and I have no idea why it isn't. I recommend it for anyone.

Excellent singer, great music, killer tempo changes, and a magnificent overall feel make way for a whirlwind of hits here. Rainer Maria are way on top of their game on this record. Best track is a tie between #2 Thought I Was and #6 The Contents of Lincoln's Pockets (which I've noticed is a love/hate sort of track) with songs #1 Artificial Light and #4 The Seven Sisters following close behind.

this cd is pretty kewl, the whole thing is listenable, with sweet melodies and catchy lyrics. although at first i was annoyed that female singer seems to predominate over the guy's vocal, unlike some of their other stuff, it eventually grew on me, and now i couldn't imagine their music any other way. hmm...someone before mentioned that track 4 was a weakness, but thats actually my fave track, it just a beautiful song. happy listening!

This is the first Rainer Maria album I've listened to, but I'm plesantly surprised. Caithlin De Marrais' vocals are incredible! Her voice vascillates between levels of intense strength, and delicacy; yet her words always maintain a sense of importance. What's even more, her vocal talents are perfectly complimented by an electric guitar and bass. It's almost as if the instruments exist solely for her voice, as if they hold the life support for her "Spit and Fire." Finally, Rainer's lyrics give the band's music a strong sensability and emotional appeal. Overall, a teriffic album, definitely worth a try.

I really enjoyed this album. It was the first Rainer Maria album I've listened to, and it definitely inspired me to go back and pick up the rest of their catalog. The only real weaknesses are tracks 4 and 7, which flag a bit compared to the rest of the relatively up-beat music on the album. The first track, Artificial Light, is a perfect neoLuddite anthem, and tracks 3 and 8, Ceremony and Spit & Fire, respectively, are excellent as well. Recommended.