Customer Reviews

Careful What You Wish for

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

 

 

The staying-power and strength that Texas as a group has never fails to amaze me. With each album a few critics have written them off, saying that they'll call it a day any time soon, yet they ignore all that and keep bringing out superb music, time and time again. "White On Blonde" from 1997 broke them into the mainstream and it remains their greatest album to date, whilst 1999's "The Hush" continued the success. 2000's "The Greatest Hits" was an essential purchase which sold by the truckload. Then the band seemingly disappeared from the music scene - until 2003...

The fall of 2003 saw the release of "Careful What You Wish For," the latest album from Texas. Frontwoman Sharleen Spiteri had just given birth to her first child last year and for once, the focus wasn't just on the music. Nevertheless, the band made a fantastic comeback with this new album which is just superb. For me this album is their second greatest album so far after the genius White On Blonde, proving that the band has true staying power. On this album Texas trade in the soul-influences from The Hush for a throwback to their mid-90's popular soft rock style, mixed with more up to date themes such as New Wave.

"Telephone X" opens the album in grand style. A telephone rings and then the beat kicks in and Sharleen begins singing as if singing down a telephone. It's hard to tell, but you can if you listen close enough. The guitars are loud and proud here as Sharleen lives life to the full in this feel-good pop classic - a superb way to open such a fantastic album. "Broken" is definitely one of the best songs on here, and one of Texas' best songs ever. The chimes of "Summer Son" are particularly evident here, but they're more rounded and anthemic. The chorus here is just classic and hits you like a thunderbolt with Sharleen singing "So tonight!" You can really sing along and just let go - album highlight! "Carnival Girl" was the first single to be taken from this album back in October 2003. Many people didn't like it, but I just adore it. I love the way Sharleen's vocals contrast with those of Kardinal Offishall's and it's something new. Once again, Texas are fearless to experiment which makes them interesting, always fresh and never dull. "I'll See It Through" was the second single to be taken from the album in December 2003. This is one of Texas' most powerful ballads ever. It doesn't quite reach the epic scale of "Put Your Arms Around Me," but it's still superb and was viscously denied a UK Top 30 entry.

"Where Did You Sleep?" is a mysterious and almost spooky rock anthem. Sharleen's voice is quiet and calm in the verses as a creepy beat tingles in the background, then the choruses hit in and just sound like a bomb crashing - loud guitars, heavy drums and angry vocals. "And I Dream" starts off with an incredible dance beat and would fit perfectly on Madonna's "Ray Of Light." The electronic twist is a new take for Texas and here it works exceptionally well. Sharleen's first vocals are practically Goddess-like in their powerful, booming quality. The beat is deep, mysterious and dark - exploding and diving all over the set. Brilliant song. The album's title track, "Careful What You Wish For," is another brilliant slice of pop rock perfection with some noticeable Blondie influences! Sharleen's classy vocals completely transform for the chorus, raising an octave completely. "Big Sleep" is possibly the album's disappointment, but then again, it isn't half bad. This is a bittersweet and short country-tinged ballad with an acoustic guitar. Sharleen's vocals seem old and dated in that brilliantly worn and tired way. A great song to doze off to.

"Under Your Skin" carries the Blondie influence even further and sounds like a track that should have been on their recent comeback album, "The Curse Of Blondie." The driving force from the beginning totally makes the song and Sharleen's lovestruck vocals enhance this. "Carousel Dub (Featuring Suncycle)" is a continuation from Carnival Girl from earlier on in the album. This is a worthy remix with a great rap, Sharleen's muffled vocals in the background chanting "Carnival girl!" and it's only two minutes long so it moves swiftly into the next song, "Place In My World (Featuring Dolomite)." When I first heard this song I was completely shocked! Was this Texas? Complete with cheesy disco bleeps and an Uber-gay beat and vocals?! Yes, and after a while, I started to like it! The song has a really cool opening with Dolomite chanting something inspirational about your life and doing what you want to do. This is shiny, classy disco pop with a somewhat dated sound that actually works very well. "Another Day" close the album in grand style, just as the opening track did. I wasn't too keen on this track at first, but it definitely grew on me since I last listened. The high-pitched chanting in the background of "Hurry up and lets begin!" at each chorus is the thing that stands out the most, and with good reason: it's catchy as heck!

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

With Careful What You Wish For, Texas has proved even myself wrong. I was sceptical about purchasing this album for some reasons that I cannot fathom. All I knew is that I wasn't too keen on making a purchase, but then I just gave in and bought it - I haven't looked back since! This is truly one of 2003's greatest albums, and definitely an underrated future classic (it only peaked at No.5 in the UK and spent just a few weeks in the Top 40). I'm placing this album as my second favourite Texas album to date, behind White On Blonde - it couldn't quite top that masterpiece, and I'm pretty sure that nothing they release in the future will. Then again, Texas are an ever-unpredictable band so I have no clue to what the future holds! I'll be more than eager to find out though.

as Martha would say, "it's a good thing."
After listening to the first few seconds of the intro (Telephone X) I thought I was listening to a Garbage album. Very impressive intro, and the last 30 seconds or so of the song just make you just move to it. One of the most standout tracks on the record. Simple guitar chords lead you in the next track, Broken. Good song, but it seems her vocals are really muddled during the chorus. Carnival Girl's great, if only sound wise; I could've done without whoever's vocally accompanying her in it. I'll See It Through is a little bland, it could've been a more emotionally inducing ballad, but her voice sounds great. Where Did You Sleep? has a really infectious chorus...
The next 2 tracks are my favorite - And I Dream is a very 'Cher' sounding song imo... probably the only dance inspired song on the album - her vocals are very clear and the guitar introduced into the beginning along with the electronica is brilliant. The title track is probably my favorite song on this record. The beginning sounds very reminiscent of an old Fleetwood Mac song... simple yet effective lyrics, probably the most flawless vocals on the entire album. The rest of the album I could do without; the last track, Another Day has one of the most beautiful arrangements I've heard in awhile.
All in all, I was very pleased with this album; it's pretty rare to find a 12 track album this day in age where you like over half the songs. This album is and isn't a departure for them. Sound & production wise it's all over the map, and unlike so many albums, that's its actual strength. Her vocals aren't the best, the lyrics aren't the greatest, but the sound throughout is wonderful.

There's no doubt about it, Texas' 'Careful What You Wish For' is an amazing album. The very first Texas album I bought was 'The Hush', which I simply adore, so I knew I had to rush out and buy all the music by this relatively unknown (at least where I am) band as I could. This CD was the second of the group's albums I purchased. Upon first listen, I'll admit it, I was slightly underwhelmed. I had expected the same sound 'The Hush' had offered, and had thought I would fall in love with 'Careful What You Wish For' as soon as I hit "play". However, I did sense potential in the album, and I was well aware of the band's talent, so I kept the CD in my discman. After the second listen, I was well-aware of the gem I was lucky enough to have bought.

'Broken' has all the characteristics and makings of a hit. It's the type of song which Texas is extremely familiar with. The group is well-aware of every note that has to be hit, and every lyric needed to provoke emotion. Overall, it's a fantastic track, definitely one of the best on the album. To be perfectly honest, I was actually quite taken aback when I listened to 'Carnival Girl' for the first time. Having Kardinal Offishall contribute to the track seemed to be an odd move for a band like Texas to make. Fortunatly, the song sounds amazing. Kardinall Offishall doesn't overwhelm the track (or the album for that matter) and Texas really does have the skill to pull it all off in the end.

Tracks four through seven ('I'll See It Through', 'Where Did You Sleep', 'And I Dream', and 'Careful What You Wish For') are my absolute favorite songs off the album. All of them have amazing beats, insightful lyrics, and catchy hooks. 'Under Your Skin' and 'Another Day' are also stand-out tracks. This album is an absolute must for any Texas fan, you shouldn't even have to consider it. If you're interested in checking out some of Texas' music 'Careful What You Wish For' is probably a good place to start (although, all their albums are great, so you probably won't be disappointed). Try giving the album a second chance if you don't fall in love with it the first time around, chances are, you'll love it!

After listening to this album several times I'm still not sure how I feel about it. If you are looking for an album with musical variety you have found it! The music is extremely catchy and perfect for anyone who enjoys many different styles of music. The reason this album only earns 4 stars from me is the lead vocalist's (Sharleen Spiteri) voice is drowned out and muddled on several of the tracks (Broken, & Big Sleep to name a few). This was disappointing to me as her vocals are always the crowning glory of any Texas album. All in all this is an extremely decent album. To be truthful, the more I hear it, the more I enjoy it. Happy listening.

Texas have always been musical magpies, and this collection is as different from "Hush" as "White On Blonde" was from "Mothers Heaven". Hints of Blondie, Bacharach and No Doubt sit comfortably side by side, all linked together by Sharleen's vulnerable vocals.

It's all very listenable, but ultimately not quite as memorable as "White On Blonde".

The first half of the CD I really enjoyed and it was catchy, but near the end it sounded like they were desparate to fill the CD so they added almost anything. I still don't understand how carnival girl got into the CD considering Sharleen Spiteri said that the album is more rock... hmmm... I still gave it a 4 star coz it's still better than most CDs out there.

I'm a big Texas fan, but this album stinks! Mind you, I was expecting something as good as White on Blonde and the Hush. This album doesn't flow like the other two and feels rather uninspired. I'd have to say, I hate the added the R&B and rap insertions, I think this trend of adding R&B to pop songs is getting old. There is not a single song I liked on this entire album and not one song stood out as even remotely catchy.