Customer Reviews

Crossing the Rubicon

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I can't decide whether I like this album better than Dying to Say This To You but I killed that album by playin' it over and over and it looks like I'm doin' the same to this one...it's that good...or even better...

1.No One Sleeps When I'm Awake...(5/5) great first single...very catchy and if you're not a fan as yet this one will definitely get your attention

2.4 Songs & A Fight (4/5) catchy lyrics..one that you'd definitely sing along too..love the riffs

3.My Lover (5/5)..I thought the song was asking someone to 'be my lover'..this one got stuck in my head and I was singin' that out loud till I found out the lyrics were 'beat, beat my lover'..ah well...still an awesome song..Maja sings the verses fast it's almost like she's rappin...

4.Dorchester Hotel (5/5) Probably my favorite song on the album...we get to hear one of the guys sing a small part...I think it's deep lyrics wise...I'm not too sure if it's goin to a hotel to be with an old love or kill him...you decide..

5.Beatbox (5/5) I wasn't too sure if I liked it at first because I was like what? with the lyrics...but it's one of the best actually...definitely captures what The Sounds are...because the rock guitar riffs are there but there's this 80's/disco vibe to it...there's a live video of them playin' this one circling the web...and I definitely wish I was one who was in the crowd

6.Underground (3/5) My least favorite from the album...didn't catch me like the rest..upbeat though

7.Crossing the Rubicon (4/5)..shortest song on the album...I feel like i'm in outerspace with this one..

8.Midnight Sun (4/5)...sweet song lyrics wise...not the best but not skippable either...

9.Lost In Love (4/5)...upbeat and also one that you'd sing along to...

10.The Only Ones (4/5)...one of the slowest songs on the album...the ballad of the bunch...really nice and shows how diverse The Sounds songs are...

11.Home Is Where Your Heart Is (5/5)...typical The Sounds song...gotta love it..

12.Goodnight Freddy (5/5) An instrumental song...it's like bittersweet you wanna smile and cry at the same time...

This review reflects my personal opinion~

Let me pop in my two cents. I love the Sounds. I got bored with most music right around 1999 (thanks to a glut of nausea inducing 'rock-rap' and Nickleback...). I kept treading water listening to Radiohead and a few other bands hoping that there would be better music around the corner. And lo and behold, the magical days of the late 2000s and early 2010s comes!

Along with several other cutting edge bands fusing styles seamlessly (mainly rock, pop, and electronic), the Sounds have restored my faith in music. Crossing the Rubicon is a fantastic album from start to finish. Though a few songs are better or more catchy than others, the album generally exudes quality and style. The vocals sizzle with Ivarsson's amazing talent. The instrumentation is fantastic and provides a fitting back drop for the vocals, never drowning her out, never quite fading into near silence.

I would say that if you enjoy listening to the Kills, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, or Metric, then you might do yourself a service and pick up this album (their best so far in my humble opinion). Yay Sweden!

If you love happy, catchy, rock tunes with a synthesizer edge, than you'll love this CD! The Sounds are a band from Sweden, but fortunately for us English speakers, the songs are all written and preformed in English. The music is a mix of pop/rock/new wave, with good melodies and catchy beats. There's not too much else out there like this, so it's hard to compare The Sounds to other modern bands, but think a little of Sahara Hotnights, except a million times better. The Sounds have two other CDs, Dying to Say this to You and Their first CD simply entitled "The Sounds." Both are excellent, but this third CD is a bit more "pop" in its catchy riffs and new wave melodies.

In conclusion, if you love good music, than you'll BUY THIS CD!!!!!!!!!

I hadn't even heard of The Sounds until a few days ago, when I came across their music by accident. Whoa! This band is amazing! A sort of retro-80's sound, yet very modern. "No one Sleeps When I'm Awake" kicks off the album with a driving beat, awesome blend of guitar and synths, sharp songwriting, and of course Maja Ivarsson's powerful and unique vocals, and these elements continue throughout. (Others have compared The Sounds to Blondie, and I think that's not too far off... just with a modern sensibility, and more energy than Blondie typically had).

I was hooked by just the first few songs of this CD, which are all great, but then I got to "Midnight Sun". Wow! This song blew me away! Heartfelt lyrics and an infectious tune that is somehow deep and yet catchy at the same time. By the time I heard that, I became officially a Sounds fan. Definitely will be checking out their other albums.

First let me say that anyone who is looking for an 80's inspired sound will not be disappointed. If you hated the 80's, especially the synth infused sound from the 80's, you probably won't like CtR. What follows is a more detailed review of each song.

1.No One Sleeps When I'm Awake...(5/5) I loved this song, and it is no surprise it is the first single released from the album. According too Maja the song is about people pursuing their dreams with restless abandon. Knowing this improved my enjoyment of the song, bringing to life the catchy lyrics.

2.4 Songs & A Fight (4/5) A catchy, fun song that is good but just doesn't leave a lasting impression on me.

3.My Lover (5/5) Great song; I loved the REM inspired riff and the soaring refrain added to my enjoyment of the song

4.Dorchester Hotel (5/5) Not only does it present catchy lyrics , but the lyrics suggest the conflict between love, passion, heretic and hypocrisy. Is it a passionate love affair she is portraying as bordering on religious, or has her former flame found God and is indulging in passions denied him, or something else entirely? I love not knowing and speculating on the possibilities.

5.Beatbox (4/5) Like others not a big fan of this song . . . initially. Combining rap delivered lyrics that occasionally riffs on the Beastie Boys Intergalactic. On subsequent playings the song is growing on me. The biggest problem is the cliche lyrics. I wouldn't be surprised if it is one of the singles produced off this album, however, for its great dance club potential. If they do release it as a single I anticipate the DJ mixes will be superior, which is the main reason I give this song a 4 rather than a 3.

6.Underground (4/5) One of the main criticisms by a Rolling Stone reviewer was the albums glance backward and I think they have really missed the boat here. This is the first of several that does so. After listening to this song, I really enjoy the vibe and the lyrics, as they look back and ponder the very real feeling that when you leave the past behind, bittersweet or wonderful, we can never go back and recapture what we had . . but maybe that's OK.

7.Crossing the Rubicon (4/5) A short Blondie inspired song reminiscent of her earlier works. Enjoyable though, IMHO, not as good as Midnight Sun.

8.Midnight Sun (5/5) As one who grew up listening to Blondie, I love this song. The song would be strong competition for her best work on Eat to the Beat and the self-titled Blondie. It's got the same vibe as Shayla and Union City Blues.

9. Lost In Love (4/5) I disagree with an earlier review that this song is upbeat. It's certainly catchy . . . albeit bittersweet. Even when a love affair has lost its spark, our desire to love passionately continues to burn inside of us. Do we abandon a comfortable relationship or trust that voice that tells us the relationship just ain't right.

10.The Only Ones (5/5) This is an amazing song, and another reason the RS glib response to the Sounds glance backwards is so short sighted. The song is about the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, which was probably a transformative event in the life of Maja and her band mates. From our decidedly American perspective we have no idea how significant in European relations this event was. Personally, I remember watching the fall of the Wall, and weeping. Everything changed, and I was more than a thousand miles away from the epicenter. The events culminated in a performance in December 1989 by Leonard Bernstein playing Beethoven's 9th Symphony with Ode to Joy, changed to Ode to Freedom. Many other artists also performed, including Roger Waters playing Pink Floyd's "The Wall".

11. Home Is Where Your Heart Is (5/5) As a follow on to The only ones, this third glance backward reminds us that even though we are far from home the things that make us who we are never leave us. Wonderful.

12.Goodnight Freddy (4/5) An instrumental song that is lovely but not as inspiring as may of the songs on the album.

This album is amazing! It one of the very few out there where every song is awesome and you dont have to skip. The Sounds are the most amazing band ever and this new album proves it yet again!! "Midnight Sun" is the greatest!! :D

Overall Grade: A
Hilights: No One Sleeps When I'm Awake, My Lover, Beatbox, Midnight Sun, Lost In Love, Home Is Where Your Heart Is

If any band has defeated Green Day's operatic "21st Century Breakdown", it's the Sounds. "Crossing the Rubicon" is a well-crafted and resonant epic that sports Maja Ivarsson's roaring vocals backed by symphonic swooping guitar solos and scattered synthesizers, their most beautiful work to date! As a band they've definitely grown up while still managing to hold onto their original spark. That spark will be the one to start the wildfire! "My Lover", "Midnight Sun" and "Lost In Love" are probably the most alluring tracks here, while "Beatbox" arrives as the new head-banging sing-a-long. Terrific, terrific, terrific!

The third studio album of the swedish-rock band "Crossing The Rubicon". Now on Vinyl!
This is a 2 LP Set. Comes with the hit song "No One Sleeps When I'm Awake" and 11 other songs.

This album will be a classic. You won't get tired of it. The whole album is exciting. If you liked the beat and the words from the Ramones, Blondie, Undertones, Buzzcocks, Sex Pistols, and other bands like these, then you will like this kind of music. I bought this album for someone because I felt the words to several songs will help her with life's problems and the constant uplifting rhythms will cheer her up whenever she listens to it. Having seen the Ramones, Undertones and so many other bands in mid 70s to early 80s, and finding this music comparable to a very unique sound, I cannot understand why some of the reviewers gave it low scores.
To this day I don't think U2 has done anything better than the song I Will Follow and I saw this live when they first appeared in New York City in 1980 or thereabouts. Also, another band that maintains an uplifting beat is a band called Dollyrots.
The Casualties play great stuff with a great lead guitarist and great words, but I just don't keep up with music anymore as I am aging, but I know good stuff when I hear it, and I can say that older guys and gals can tell good stuff even when they get "old". Just ask Seymour Stein.

A consistently great album from a country with so many talented artists. Their best yet