Customer Reviews

Between the Days

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I reviewed this back when I first got it a few years ago, but I wanted to go into a little more detail on the individual songs. Merril is a wonderful yet underrated singer/songwriter who deserves a larger audience in the US, so here goes...

Between the Days - kind of a lackluster opening track, not as seductive as Garden in My Room off the Garden but it sets an appropriate laidback mood that caries over throughout the album

Lonely - a great song with that quirky and offbeat flavor that characterized Merril's debut album, clever lyrics and a catchy chorus make this one irresistable

Goodbye to Day - a sultry ballad with a tropical flavor, another album highlight

Stars Collide - a perky and uptempo song, again with a tropical flavor, not the most catchy song on the album but very listenable

Walk on Fire - see above, although it's a little more catchy

Hello - my favorite song on the album, deliciously coy and playful, and the piano music in the background is similar to Mouth from The Garden

Blindfolded - the individual verses have a beautifully haunting sound and the lyrics are great but the chorus is a little blah, great acoustic guitar though

Love and Terror - songs like this make me wonder if Merril's been peeking into my diary again - if I actually kept one - a sprightly song with darker undertones, returning to the tropical sound of earlier songs

When You Call Me Name - a sweet and simple ballad, again with a subtle tropical flavor

Big Machine - my least fave song on the album and definately the most obscure

Basically, the album has a very laidback, tropical flavor. But don't let Merril's bright and sunny vocals fool you; these songs work on different levels and have some darker undertones you may not notice on the first few listens.

...And you'll have no one but yourself to blame. Have you noticed that "The Garden" is out of stock? Hmmm, I wonder why? Could it be because it's Good?

Innocuous? Hardly! Easy to listen to? You bet! Since receiving this one a mere three days ago, I've managed to listen to "Between The Days" at least a dozen times and that's unusual for me!

Merril Bainbridge has a beautiful style. Granted, every song has the word love in it somewhere, but that's what makes this one so appealing. Does everything you listen to have to have deeper meanings and phrases to puzzle out? There's a few play on words in this one but good music should be enjoyed the FIRST time you hear it. You shouldn't have to puzzle it out before you can truly appreciate it. With this one, you won't have to! It's a shame the most I can give it is 5 Stars, because I'd certainly give it more, for no other reason than I've enjoyed "Between The Days" more than I have ANY other recent purchase.

The previous reviews have touted specific songs as favorites, and that's all good and well, but wouldn't you rather buy a CD because it's ALL good? Whatever you do, DON'T MISS THIS ONE!

Okay, okay, so you've relegated her to one-hit wonder status because of "Mouth." Trust me on this one, the rest of that first album was really good, too, and this second collection of her music is no exception. She's got a wicked sense of humor about love, and her gift for melody is unmatched by anyone except perhaps Rufus Wainwright. Give her a try, and I'm sure you'll like what you hear.

Don't let the lack of press (positive OR negative) fool you--Merril Bainbridge's sophomore release is a very solid offering, if you don't mind bubblegum pop. I don't use that term disparagingly, but those who are looking for straight folk music or something more urban probably shouldn't apply here--this disc consists mostly of highly-polished, radio-friendly pop music. While her debut was extremely uneven and downright bad in spots, Between the Days is one of those discs you could listen to all the way through without skipping any tracks. The only track to get any radio play (AFAIK) is "Lonely", one of my favorites on the disc along with "Stars Collide" and "Blindfolded". I'm pleasantly surprised by the quality of this album.

I was one of those who got so enthralled with Merril Bainbridge's first album, The Garden, and its hit single, "Mouth," that I had to just go buy the album and find out more about this relatively unknown (in the US at least) artist. I was pleased. Some reviews called her the "Anti-Alanis" because she combined some good songwriting with not-so-angry rhetoric; I agree. Satisfied with "The Garden," I had to take a look at "Between the Days" when I spotted it on sale at a record store. It's not as good, but still very good.

There is less of a variety here than in the previous album, which is not too good, although there are some good songs like "Stars Collide," "Love and Terror" and "Goodbye To Day." The songs in general are well written, although too sugary and, at times, boring (especially toward the latter tracks). Those factors keep me from rating this album at a 5 (as I would have for The Garden), and it's more like a 3.5 than a 4, but compared to most of the stuff out there, Merril offers something fresh and different. And sometimes it is nice to know that you are enjoying a secret indulgence that few people are familiar with, as opposed to listening to artists that *everyone* knows and likes.

I think Merril needs more exposure particularly in the US. If other Australian acts, such as Savage Garden and INXS, can really take off in the US, why not Merril?

This album "Between the Days" rules. My favorite song is "Walk on Fire" The first time I heard that song I loved it. And I usually don't pay attention to songs the first time I hear them. Hear this song and you will definitely be dancing. That song is singing in my head right now. Also favorites are "Hello" which is a song that you'll be singing to people and they'll think you crazy."Big Machine" is another favorite which has a very vibrant base to it. If you've ever been in love you'll like this one."Good bye Today" has meaning if you pay attention to the lyrics and seductive base with a catchy hook to it. "Blindfolded" makes me think of the things that I have missed out on. The only problem I have with this album is although I love her voice and every song on this album yet there is no sad song that makes you cry. On her last album she had a "A Song For Neen" which always made me cry when I'm depressed. But that's just me. If you love the popular music of today you will be enthrawed by "Between The Days"

I believe if "Between The Days" was released now the album would have had better sales than it did in 1998. At the time of this review I can't recall the artist that this album sounds like, which is not doing the album justice. In my opinion, if you come across the Australian or Japanese edition of Between The Days with Merril Bainbridge covering "I Got You Babe", is to skip the song. The song is a reggae duet with Jamaican rapper Shaggy and does not fit on the album.

Merril Bainbridge is an excelent artist. This album Between the Days, shows immaculate talent. I would recomend it to anyone who loves the female voice.

I guess this album didn't have the smash "Mouth" hit, but it is definitely the better effort. We can only hope that this is a good trend and that the next one will be even better. What we have here is a nice collection of pop songs with jangly guitars and Merril's sweet vocals. My favorite tracks are "Lonely," "Goodbye To Day," "Stars Collide," "Hello" and "Love and Terror." Fans of Sarah McLachlan, Melanie, Bangles, and the Cranberries will not be disappointed. It seems like Australia, just like Sweden, continues to be a fertile pop goldmine.

As far as pop songs go, Merril Bainbridge is practically perfect. "Stars Collide" and "Hello" are two of my favorites. She has such a sweet voice! This is serious music for pop enthusiasts... very, very good