Customer Reviews

Break Up

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was a bit skeptical after reading some of the reviews on here and because I had never heard Scarlett J. sing before. Wow! I was thoroughly and pleasantly surprised. She can sing and the entire album was a breath of fresh air. Give a listen to the samples before listening to the haters (i.e. judge for yourself!).

Ok, admittedly this music is very mellow and is stuff you might put on a playlist with a name like "Alone in the Dark," "Struck Out at the Bar Last Night" or "Just Got Dumped." For the kind of music it is I think this CD (or whatever you call a group of songs these days) is great. The only songs I don't really like too much are the "Blackie's Dead" songs since they don't quite seem to fit with the rest of the music for some reason. Song like "I am the Cosmos" are awesome though.

When I originally bought this I had some trepidation about Scarlett Johansen and her vocals on these tracks but they blend very well with the type of music it is. Her voice is much better than I expected but she still doesn't show that she has a very powerful voice like a Broadway singer or anything but, the cool thing, is that she didn't need to on any of these songs and for what she needed to do her voice worked very well.


Check out the songs and grab it you feel like you need some new kind of mellow music and don't be afraid of an actress trying to sing in this case.

I didn't know what to expect when I downloaded this, as I was not familiar with the music of Scarlett Johansson or Pete Yorn. Well I am glad I downloaded it. The songs are very catchy and the voices blend well together. The harmonies are excellent. Scarlett has an excellent voice. The songs are 60s style pop, but with modern production so they don't sound dated at all. Overall, this is a fun album to listen to.

"Break-Up" is an album it's tempting to make excuses for in advance. Recorded over three days ("casual") back in 2006 ("not rushed to market") and now appearing in the shadow of Zooey Deschanel's and M. Ward's She & Him: Volume One ("not as good as...").

Plus, it's a "concept album." Another danger sign.

Still, I took the plunge. This album is my first investment in the music of Pete Yorn, but my second in Scarlett Johansson's musical career. Her 2008 release of Tom Waits covers "Anywhere I Lay My Head" didn't rack up a whole lot of plays on my iPod. But the song "Falling Down" is definitely worth a download (at the very least, check out the video with its Salman Rushdie cameo). Johansson's vocals got mostly lost in her Dave Sitek-produced debut. Here, they more than hold their own, with a bluesy delivery that works well against Yorn's laid-back vocals.

Yorn is said to have been inspired by the Serge Gainsbourg-Brigitte Bardot "Bonnie & Clyde" collaboration of the 1960s. And he seems to have found lyrical inspiration in the songs of the past, too, with many of the lyrics seemingly plucked from a familiar pop-heartbreak grab-bag.

If nothing else, perhaps Scarlett Johansson will do for Pete Yorn musically what she did for Woody Allen at the movies - attract some broader interest to help perk up his career. Which is maybe why the album is being taken off the shelf right now. Ultimately, as it tracks the course of a relationship, the album doesn't quite live up to its early, enthusiastic excitement ("Relator").

But there's no need to make excuses: "Break Up" is an album of considerable charms.

2009 is proving to be a busy year for Pete Yorn, with the release of not one but two CDs in a matter of months: "Back and Fourth" was his 4th proper solo album, and now comes this duet album with none other than Scarlett Johansson. First things first: this album was recorded in 2006, yes, three years ago. No explanation has been offered why this has been sitting on the shelves for three solid years.

As to the album itself, "Break Up" (9 tracks; 29 min.) brings a collection of musical collages supposedly depicting a break up. Not that you can really pick that up from simply listening to the album. The opener "Relator" is the most mainstream-sounding song on here, with an easy upbeat rythm to it, and Pete and Scarlett truly dueting. After that charming opener, the tone of the album becomes much more introverted and reflective. I find the tracks that work best are the ones where Pete and Scarlett truly are collaborating, as opposed to the ones where you can bearly hear Scarlett (such as "Wear and Tear" and the closer "Someday"). On the other hand "I Don't Know What To Do" is a great little gem. My favorite track on this collection is "Shampoo", the perfect mix and interplay between Pete and Scarlett.

But at a mere 29 min., there is simply not enough material here to call this album fully fleshed-out. After repeated listening to the album, it simply feels like a fleeting moment, or an incomplete symphony. Much was made last year about Scarlett's singing capabilities when she released her frist solo album (recorded much later than this albu, incidentally). As then, I really find no fault with her singing. In all, for some reason I had huge expectations for this album, and I can't say theu were entirely met. There are nice enough moments on here, but just not enough of them. And did I mention that this collection lasts all of 29 minutes?

Okay, so I too was a tad nervous when I first downloaded the single `Relator'. I mean, I'll say this, just listening to Scarlett talk you know that she can sing. She has the most seductive jazz singer smoky tone to her voice, a tone that is both soothing and sharp at the same time. I remember hearing her rendition of `Summertime' and just being speechless at the richness and depth in her soulful voice.

Then she covered Tom Waits.

Now, she had her moments, but to say that her album `Anywhere I Lay My Head' was mediocre is kind of putting it nicely. It's a commendable thing to put yourself out there for something you truly love and admire, but some things should never be attempted. On `Break Up' she joins forces with Pete Yorn to create a completely different album, something much better suited for her voice and her talent.

Thankfully she showcases the potential I knew she had.

Sadly she doesn't get to showcase it enough.

That is my one complaint with `Break Up'. Now, I have never listened to Pete Yorn's music before this album, which is rather shocking since I am a huge fan of the genre and the artists who he reminds me of. He has a great sound and an interesting voice (I'm a huge fan of the blemishes or weakness within a singers vocals because they expose a raw emotional connection, but Yorn's vocals at times have too many faults) but the real star of this album is Scarlett, and he just doesn't give her enough room to really shine. She is only really featured prominently on a handful of songs, delegated to back up vocals on the majority, which is sad because the songs for which she is key are the songs that really stand out on this album.

`Relator', the album's first single is simply flawless. It may very well be my favorite song so far this year. It has the right bounce, the right amount of spunk and catchy deliciousness. I can't help but snap my fingers and bop my head and totally get into this song. I think it's time for a new ringtone! A completely different sound comes from `Clean', but Scarlett sounds impeccable here as well, her soft vocals meshing perfectly with Yorn's delicate delivery. I just wish that Yorn would have realized the brilliance of their duets, for the compliment one another flawlessly. `I Am The Cosmos' is an intriguing track, a cover of the song by Chris Bell, and it works quite well in all its oddness. The track also focuses on Scarlett, which is a plus.

`I Don't Know What To Do' is charming, sweet, delightful goodness that just soars and makes me feel all warm inside. I just wanted to say that.

I really liked `Shampoo'. Scarlett only has backup vocals here, but she harmonizes beautifully with Yorn (less a harmony and more a vocal compliment). The song has a really nice flow to it, an effortless stride from start to finish.

I also liked `Someday' a lot, very raw and intense, but this is also a track that exposes Yorn's weaknesses as a vocalist. He has almost a Johnny Cash feel to his singing here, and that lump in his throat is overdone a tad over time (it's also the longest track on the album). Like I mentioned; I am all for the vocal blemishes. Damien Rice is my favorite musicial/singer out there and he has far from a perfect voice, but his blemishes are not as prominent as Yorn's so they actually compliment, not hinder, his music. Yorn is not a bad singer, but he needs someone like Scarlett to even him out, which is why he really should have shared the spotlight equally with her, for she helps mask some of his more noticeable imperfections.

`Blackie's Dead' makes up for the odd "Blackie's dead" with a funky beat and fun playful vocals. I just don't like the way they say that, "Blackie's dead", but whatever, it's a very small part of the song so I'm over it. `Wear and Tear' is a good track, even if Yorn sounds kind of strange in parts. If Scarlett had been given something to sing outside of barely audible background vocals and a thankless bridge it could have been much better.

`Search Your Heart' saddens me. I just hate that `high school prom band' way in which they say "let me search your heart". It ruins the WHOLE song for me. The rest of the song is actually pretty good, and I love some of the guitar work here. I just cannot stand that "let me search your heart" part; it tarnishes the whole song, which could have been one of the top 3 tracks on the album. Instead it rests closer to 6.

So, in the end, I recommend the album. I'd probably rank the album like this:

1) Relator
2) Clean
3) I Don't Know What To Do
4) Blackie's Dead
5) Shampoo
6) Search Your Heart
7) Someday
8) I Am The Cosmos
9) Wear and Tear

If you are a fan of indie rock then you really need to check this out. I'm going to look into Yorn's music a little deeper now, since I am none to familiar with him at this point. I can see great things in the future for this couple if they continue their working relationship. If not, I certainly hope that Scarlett uses this as a stepping stone to further her singing career in the right direction. She has the goods to really make an impact in the music world. I, for one, am rooting for her.

holy crap! it's nice to be surprised by an album, and this is one of those times. Pete Yorn has always been a solid performer, but this collaboration between Scarlett is way better than I ever would have thought. She has a real smokey jazz-singer vibe here, which, mixed with Yorn's contemporary indie songwriting, produces something really unique.
This album is short, but easily some of the better music of 2009. I will be looking out for Scarlett's work in the future.

I had this album on mp3 format before purchasing the actual CD, and I have to admit, the CD sounds EVEN BETTER !
Breakup is not your average actress slash singer - pop star collaboration. Pete and Scarlett make a beautiful couple soundwise as well. I love this CD.

I wasn't expecting much from this album, but was curious about how Scarlett would do as a singer. I had never heard of Pet Yorn before this album. The music is very catchy, especially Relator. I might check out more of Yorn's music as a result and hope to see Scarlett do more singing.

This CD was the 'CD deal of the day' awhile back, so I got it. And I wasn't really expecting much. But then I listened to the album and it just blew me away. It's surprisingly very good. It's not super long. Both of the artists voices work very well together. I really enjoy it. Definitely one of my most listened to CDs right now. Totally worth buying. A couple of my favorite tracks are Relator, Wear and Tear, and I Don't Know What To Do.