Customer Reviews

Broken By Whispers

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

i rushed to the store to buy this on its release date - excited that it was easily availble due to it being a sub pop release rather than an import. this CD is perfect. *perfect!* i am a bigger fan of the earlier trembling blue stars stuff, the stuff without techno backbeats - and this cd perfectly encompasses everything i *love* about TBS. sweet sweet heartbreaking lyrics, glorious vocals, slow pop music that is the perfect soundtrack to every crush i currently have. it is beautiful. autumn captured in song.

I was recommended this CD by Amazon.com because of other albums I have bought through them. I was a bit skeptical, I'll admit, since usually nobody can pick a good CD for me. I trucked down to the local music store and listened to it there. It was a beautiful piece of work. I have always enjoyed Belle&Sebastian, and this CD definitely has a B&S-esque feel for it. There are one or two songs that don't strike me very well, but other than that, this is a great album and I suggest it to anyone that enjoys the melancholic music scene.

perhaps the best album yet by TBS. the songs are based on acoustic guitar, but are heart breaking epics. all 3 albums by this wonderful band are excellent and much in the same style (techno backbeats....huh?). There is not one filler track on this album.

I loved the other 2 albums because of their unique sound...it was a great combination of the techno and the jangly guitar sound the field mice were known for. But this album just hasn't caught on. It is just too mellow and although the songwriting is brilliant, the music suffers from the lack of melodies. Don't get me wrong, I love nearly everything else Bob has done, but this one just hasn't grown on me. For example, if you listen to the track with the French vocals, the song would be great if the French vocals didn't overshadow Bob's vocals. If it were done similiar to Blur's song 'To the End', it would have turned out beautifully. Hopefully the next album has a nice mixture of synths and dance friendly beats, Bob's great vocals, and of course the great songwriting we appreciate as TBS fans. Oh, and more of Anne Marie too! Cheers.

Let me begin by saying, if you've come across this page, you've got a pretty good idea of what to expect from this release.

If you don't....well, get this cd and then save it. Save it for the darkest, dreariest, rainiest day that presents itself. Then, play it....and crawl to the nearest window, press your face against, and watch the rain as streaks down the window in front of your face. Or, you can crawl into your bed...pull the covers o'er your head, and drift away. If you're truly bereft, I suppose you can crank up the volume and just go stand OUTSIDE in the rain.

All kidding (and sincerity) aside, this cd is a gloomy one. Understandably so as well. But, in its gloom, it has a funny way of instilling a sense of hope. That may sound a bit odd, but I think the "hope" can be found in the realization that, despite all your life's travesties, others are experiencing them right along with you. A kind of, "hey, buddy, you ain't alone" if you get my drift. That is comforting.

I do highly recommend this one. Don't be prepared to experience the melancholy of Joy Division, but do be prepared for some introspection. And, although I mentioned rainy-weather for this one....I first played this in my car as I drove from San Francisco to Sausalito, across the Golden Gate, on a gorgeously striking sunny day, top down.....and it fit PERFECTLY. Something about the forlorn sounds....in the midst of such beauty....was very fitting. Try it and you'll see I'm right.

Enjoy.

All I have to say is WOW! BROKEN BY WHISPERS is a spectacular album. It is written by a man named R.Wratten,he used to be the lead singer of another great group that came to an premature demise,THE FIELD MICE. BBW is the perfect blend of ELLIOT SMITH-like vocals, the emotionally heart warming sound of THE SMITHS/MORRISSEY and the catchiness of THE LIGHTNING SEEDS. If you like any of the bands above, I strongly suggest you check out BBW, it is truly moving.

The Field Mice were the apex of twee pop and while this lacks the poppy diversion like "Emma's House," it makes for a fantastic continuation of Robert Wratten's delicate style. "Sleep" is a morose, subtly-arranged track that feels dignified and almost gothic while "Birthday Girl" brings Belle and Sebastian's EP-era work to mind. All in all, a perfect rainy day album that turns bleakness into beauty.

on a recommendation, not having heard this band before. I am so glad that I did. It's beautiful, with sneakily heartbreaking lyrics and oddly catchy melodies. The first time I heard the very first song, I was hooked. I love this album.

It simply allows me to be "blue" and "vulnerable" to hear some of the songs. Sometimes the tempo is slow but I like how it delivers a unique experience of subtleness of a dreamland.

Bob's vocal is very nice.

God, this is a gorgeous CD. Others have written detailed and glowing reviews, so I just want to say that this is one of the most tender and revealing CDs that I have ever listened to and loved. If you decide to check out the snippets from Broken by Whispers, you will get an accurate sampling of the quiet beauty of Trembling Blue Stars. It is difficult for me to list my favorites because all of the tracks are appealing to me--"Ripples," "She Just Couldn't Stay," "Sometimes I Still Feel the Bruise," "Sleep," "Dark Eyes." I fell right into this CD and played it almost non-stop for about a week. I still listen to it regularly. Broken is relaxing, telling, and the lyrics remind me of reading someone's hidden love letters. I highly recommend this subtle and personal CD.

I also want to note that fans of Dashboard Confessional should check out Broken. DC's song "A Plain Morning" is very similar to TBS' tone, style, and lyrics, but I don't think many emo/DC fans know about TBS.