Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Blow Up Hollywood, June 17, 2004
Somewhere between acoustic based progressive rock and creative
singer/songwriter material lies the music of Blow Up Hollywood. Their debut album, which offers no insight into the music or the band members is a stark look at life, death and what lies beyond and between. Their music is textured with strings and samples throughout the album, but it has a very "organic" feel to it. To say that poignant lyrics and emotive instrumentals are the highlight of this album would only serve the music as a whole a grave injustice. This is an album of cohesion, precision execution and thought provoking messages- both lyrically and musically.The instrumentation on the album is acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, synth, bass, drums, cello, violin, viola and trumpet. The lack of member credits indicate the album and the band are about the sum of Blow Up Hollywood, not the individuals themselves. Blow Up Hollywood will appeal to fans of Godspeed You Black Emperor! and Sigur Ros solely for the "Sonic" production of the album. There are times when the album reminds me of the acoustic based Pink Floyd songs, depth and atmospherics are abundant on this album. This is not to say it's been done before, as it is indeed a refreshingly original piece of work. In this age of polished productions, MTV glitter and mass marketing
campaigns and tours, it's great to see a band of such talent re kindle a
lost art form, which is the act of listening. Sit back and take the trip with Blow Up Hollywood, you may not want to come back. Thanks for your time, Lew Fisher
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a beautiful emotional journey, June 19, 2004
What a great and new experience, this band and album are just great and in my top ten of all time. A bit hard to explain but imagine a mix of acoustic PFloyd, Porcupine Tree and Dsshboard Convessional BUT a highly original album indeed. This album can not be classified and brings together atmospheric themes with a bit of progressive rock as well as a modern rock sound, how the band does this is mind blowing!!!!The album is a concept piece and ties together life and death and is simply amazing. Floating is a song about going from one place to the next under the life and death theme of the album and is a great song. It's Not me is a touching song and how Sweetest Moment never hit in the modern rock charts is beyond me. Kite is another great song about the theme of the album. The album also features a few instrumentals with strings featured a great cellist. Again, this is an emotional filled journey and beautiful album that crosses genres of music and has to be listened to or you may miss out on one of the best bands of the decade. Then pick up the new cd, Fake which is also wonderful!!!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Evokes ineffable emotions/thoughts, September 17, 2007
I received my cd today from Amazon, and I've listened to it twice already. This is a difficult review because I'm bound by words here. For one, this is a concept cd, and needs to be listened to as such. I could not break apart this venture into tracks without disturbing the whole, it is a journey, into the mind, the psyche, the heart, the metamorphosis of death.
I was hoping for a purely instrumental cd, but the vocals fit very well, they make it a personal journey. The composition and arrangement of these tracks, with special emphasis on the purely instrumental ones, lends itself to what I can best describe as 'sweeps of faint memories of the process of death.' There is something oddly intimate about these tracks, and deeply moving.
Not to drag this on, or talk the feeling out of what I'm trying to describe, but if you are willing to experiment and take another step forward in the joy of listening to music, you may find yourself in a place not only where your ear has been pleased, but your mind and heart also, a place of great musical reward.
Mike
NJ
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