Customer Reviews

Blow Up Hollywood

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

 

 

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

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!!!

A must for everyone who appreciates good music! Blow Up Hollywood creates a lush soundscape that draws the listener in and takes you on a musical journey.
Infectious yet melodic melodies. Great vocals and musicianship. Blow up Hollywood are truly one of those bands that everybody should know about. Highly recommend!

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

I love the entire album, but I MUST comment on that first track. First of all, it really is a MUST with headphones. Do the headphones test, then without headphones and you will understand what I mean. Reminiscent of what birth must sound like to an infant. That is only the FIRST track, which is quite symbolic of the "birth" of this band. First track of first album. Keep listening to the rest of the the album and subsequent albums over the past decade and you're bound to fall in love with the music! Something to be said about a collective of musicians who manage to stay a band for that many years.

I didn't know how much about this band until a good friend suggested I give them a whirl after another close friend of ours passed away. At his funeral his brother played a cut off of this CD. The song "Coming Home". It was very moving. I'm not a religious person,or very spiritual for that matter, but the music gave me a sense of peace and hope. I went home and purchased the CD, which is a concept album about life after death, culminating with "Coming Home" as the finale. This is one of those CD's that really takes you on a journey from start to finish. It's not the kind of record that you'll just listen to a few tracks. Although, there are a couple of great stand alone songs on it; "Floating","Kite" and "Coming Home" come to mind, there are also three or four instrumental piece's that are quite extraordinary. This is not music you'll want to listen to causally. It's for late night and deep contemplation. It's time well spent no matter what your beliefs are.

very different,

yet reminiscent of the classics...

something u listen to that inspires you,

or relaxes you, or sends u into your deepest subconscious

....enjoy!