Breath from Another

Esthero

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 28, 1998)
• Original Release Date: April 28, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000062H5
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (145 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,314 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Breath" deep, July 13, 2005

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

It's a credit to Esthero's skills that her sultry debut is still remembered seven years after its release, and in the shadow of a warm, funky follow-up. Most albums of this type fade into obscurity.

But Canadian trip-hoppist Esthero, with the help of producer Doc, manages to create a unique musical experience in "Breath From Another": chilly trip-jazz, with sexy lyrics and some hip-hop flavourings. The songwriting can be hit-and-miss, but the music and Esthero's singing are wonderful.

It opens on a diverse note in the title track: slow trippy beats and waves, which rapidly rev up into a hip-hop sound. Esthero's voice starts off breathy, but after she launches into a throaty rap, her vocals gain substance and strength. "Don't compromise what's gold/For the soul you never sold," she croons over and over.

Several songs of the songs that follow could be classified as pop music, like the catchy "That Girl" and James-Bondian interlude "Flipher Overture." But Esthero never leaves behind trip-hop and hip-hop, both of which flicker up in various songs.

But other styles crop up over the course of the album: pure soft electronica, dancey jazz, trippy Latin, and others. The only unifying style here is trip-hop. As a result, a few songs simply don't fit in: "Country Livin' (The World I Know)" moves too slow and has too few beats thrown in, so it feels vaguely out of place.

Canadian Esthero herself sounds a lot like Icelandic pop star Emiliana Torrini, who also has made a career out of electic styles. Her voice can be throaty or sweet, depending on the song. Doc (with whom she has since parted ways) produced a beautiful array of songs for her to sing, with everything from electronica to harp.

And Esthero's sweet voice can bring a surprising sense of innocence to some very sexual songs. And some truly beautiful ones as well: "My mouth is clean, my hands are dirty/Heaven isn't on my side," she sings mournfully at one point. But the lyrics here are not quite as even as her later work; the second half has some songs that sound a bit silly. "Stay awhile longer sweet tongue of fur and feather/There is a white breast waiting for you here" -- what?

Esthero's trippy, jazzy debut is a mad melange of styles and sounds, and the sometimes-uneven lyrics can't bog down a very talented singer. Definitely worth checking out.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars music was the lamb . . ., July 24, 2001

By	mikah tequila (cali) - See all my reviews

one listen of this cd and i knew it would immediately be one of my favorites. i've always appreciated original, creative, and truth in artists. what better example of this than esthero? her music is a unique blend of trip hop, jazz, soul, and sometimes even rock. much love and respect to doc for producing this masterpice and esthero for co-producing and writing all the songs.

-breath from another: a very sad song about despair and misdirection in life. yet there also seems to be a sense of understanding and hope. great trip hop beat with a catchy chorus and great rhymes from both shug and meesah. real hip hop sense.

-heaven sent: a lot of graphic sadness in this song. u can really sense the meaning and and emotion esthero put into this track, especially during the angry rock chorus.

-anywayz: very smooth jazz type song. easy to listen to with cool and smooth lyrics and a nice piano sound.

-that girl: resembles the previous track alot but with a much more catchy chorus and lyrics with a little bit deeper significance. nice guitar elements added.

-country livin (the world i know): my second favorite track on here. very lite and funky beat, nice acoustics, and very catchy and very nice lyrics..." just look at the stars, this night could be ours." an r&b love song with the unique esthero touch.

-flipher overture: a 30 second masterpiece. a unique blend of jazz, trip hop, and maybe even ska.

-half a world away: gives this cd a nice feeling of a global awareness and variety. nice spanish elements. smooth beat with cool lyrics and wonderful chorus.

-lounge: a cool, laid back song with a great jazz/soul vibe. chill lyrics with a simple yet so creative beat. all this goes on while a phone conversation plays in the background. extremely funny at the end.

-superheroes: a nice classic song with a bit of funk and very cool lyrics. simple beat and mellow vocals. well done.

-indigo boy: my 3rd favorite song. very deep and spritual. wonderful lyrics and very haunting beat and sound elements give it a big sense of despair and loneliness. "i am the last of the worshipers...indigo boy dont let them take it away from you..." an extremely touching song with a lot of sorrow.

-swallow me: my favorite on this cd. wonderful beat. the illest lyrics ever that hit exactly how esthero's music (and music in general) touches the deepest part of you. "the slowest melodies coated me, soothing rhythms stoked the fire in my belly, music was the lamb that made a lion out of me...recognize between the lines of what u feel and what you believe" and the one thing i will always quote from music from now until forever "long as i have my voice i dont need arms to hold me"

there is also an extra track on this cd once ten minutes have passed on "swallow me." it's all music and no words. very haunting and scary, the type of song that (if i listened to it enough) could cause me to get panic attacks again. still a great song if its able to invoke that part of me.

only once in awhile u'll find an artist truly worth supporting, and esthero is one of them. if u appreciate originality and prefer your music to have lyrics with meaning, then please get this cd.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can CPR Get Any Better?????, December 8, 2000

By	"trinityseoulmessiah" (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews

I was working in a clothing retail store, when I first heard "Half A World Away." The lyrics, "Don't close your eyes/ a world away/ from something you feel inside...." had me mesmerized. Upon listening to the entire CD, I almost flipped. I now own TWO copies, one for the house and one for the car! The jazzy piano keys and stuttering drums of "Anyways" will make your soul feel like liquid. The haunting, anxiety-riddled guitars and violins of "Heaven Sent" will have you wailing along, "She didn't have to diiiiiiiee!!" The barely there vocals of "Superheroes" (which promise, "Just look at those stars/ Baby, we could be stars"), will indeed make you belive you can fly. This album left me wondering, "Who in the world is this girl, where did she come from, and why wasn't she here sooner?" One review describes her as a mix between Bjork, Erykah Badu, and Sade. Throw in a little Morcheeba and Supreme Beings of Leisure, and you're not too far from the mark. If you like trance, drum 'n' bass, garage, acid jazz, lounge, or just plain good music, "Breath from Another" will leave you BREATHLESS, and gasping for just that.