Customer Reviews

Dark Dear Heart

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

 

 

It took A LOT of doing, but I first heard "Make It Go Away" on a CBS television show. But tracking it down was worth it because the Cd "Dark Dear Heart" is pretty different from any other I own. If you like Diana Krall, Indigo Girls, Shawn Colvin, you will like Holly Cole. I really recommend this CD!

From first listening, this album is immediately likeable. Her treatment of Lennon/McCartney's "Norwegian Wood" not only covers it, but redefines it. To many, though, the highpoint of the album is "Make It Go Away" (which was aired on the TV series "Due South", on which she made appearances as a club singer). Each of the titles on this album are excellently executed, giving a balance between the instrumentation, arrangement and Ms. Cole's voice. If you are going to buy one album by Holly Cole, this should be the one. You will NOT be disappointed! (Of course, "Temptation" runs a very, very close second, especially if you appreciate the songs of Tom Waits!)

After years of turning standards inside out and singing the hell out of pop tunes with a jazzy angle, Holly Cole releases an all-out pop release with dark, dear results.

The overall feel is "moody"...how fitting that Holly recently said in an interview that her favorite color is "dark." Songs like the country-tinged "Dark Dear Heart" and the Sade-esque "Hold On" are intense, consuming listens that boast stellar musicianship and Holly's specialty, an understated vocal. You can still be dark and have rhythm, though, as she proves on the Sheryl Crow-penned "You Want More" and the slinky, David Piltch co-write gem "World Seems to Come and Go." These standouts, while still midtempo, have rhythms that inspire toe-tapping without compromising any of the emotion and depth Holly brings to all of her performances.

"Make it Go Away" is a gorgeous ballad perfectly suited to her voice, and "Onion Girl" is one of the finest pop/rock ballads of recent years; the latter's success as a single should have been no surprise to anyone. But where are those covers Holly is so well known for...the kind that are so personalized, you often don't even recognize them at first? The Beatles' "I've Just Seen a Face" and Joni Mitchell's "River" are ordained into Cole's realm of classics given freah new leases on life, not only two of Holly's strongest renditions but two of the finest remakes ever. That she is able to take classic songs by such high-profile acts as the Fab Four and Mitchell prove what a gifted interpreter she is.

Some fans were up in arms at this album's release, longing for the days when Holly sung 98% jazz standards and wore strapless gowns with evening gloves. But they clearly missed the point; with a talent as deep and emotional as Holly Cole's, staying in one place would be a waste. You don't buy a luxury car fully equipped to drive around the block, and Holly Cole possesses the sort of unique talent that travels well.

A lovely pop album! Her cover of Joni Mitchell's "River" bests the original! A bit of a departure from some of her jazz-y work with the Holly Cole Trio, "Dark Dear Heart" is a remarkable effort. The choice of material probably doesn't give afford her the best possible showcase for her voice, but this disc will make you hungry for more of her work, past and future.

Holly Cole's voice and words went straight through me. I never knew she existed and was introduced to the CD when traveling in a country far from home. I made love that wasn't love to this music, but it made it better. Her emotional voice and deep understanding of the songs indeed make her versions in several cases better than the originals. She doesn't have to choose between jazz and pop. She can just come in and softly claim space.

I love Holly's adventurous entry into the pop music world. The choice of songs is excelent and she performs them flawlessly. The Beatles cover is superb. "Make it Go Away" is simply astounding and "Onion Girl" is one of my all time faves. Holly?s version of the Joni Mitchell's classic "River" is so heartfelt. Highly recommended.

I love Holly Cole and her music is great! I love the second song on this CD, "Make It Go Away". It's so good, most of the songs are so dark and so moody, and such a good quiet listen while you are reading or something. I really enjoyed this cd, and I'm glad I purchased it!

So haunting are Cole's interpretive renderings that you're certain you've never heard the songs any other way. Both Joni Mitchell and The Beatles would surely find nothing to quibble over. Cole's sad and wistful little girl personae reins supreme here. The plaintive tone reverberates and reinvents the ballads.

I was reccomended this CD from Amazon.com's services and I have been overwhelmed...What this girl does interpreting Tom Waitts must be deeper into TW than he ever thought he'd get. I have never encountered intepretations this original and - at the same time - as deep within the original before...This girl stands out!

This most recent Holly Cole album is easily up to par with all of the other material Holly has produced. There has been talk that because she 'shed the jazz motif', her music may have taken a turn for the worse. If anything, exactly the opposite has taken place. Holly has not shed the jazz motif, if you listen, it's still present in her music. Such thought provoking peices as "I told him that my dog wouldn't run." are examples of Holly in her element, and they alone make this purchase well worth every penny. It is almost certain that Holly's following increases daily as a result of this album. Keep your eyes open for 'Treasure', to be released on October 26, 1998.