Customer Reviews

Emoh

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

 

 

Lou Barlow is my favorite songwriter of all-time. Yes, I said "ALL-TIME!" I've been listening to him for over ten years now and I buy everything I can find he is associated with. This new album of his does not disappoint. My favorite songs are "Monkey Begun," "Holding Back the Year," "Legendary," "If I Could," "Mornings After Me," etc. He has a great voice, great lyrics, and I just love everything he does. When "Monkey Begun" begins, and you hear that trademark Lou Barlow guitar strum, you know exactly who is playing for you. All of us Sebadoh lovers will recognize that strum. Since the last Sebadoh album, Lou has put out some great stuff. Loobiecore Vol. 1, One Part Lullaby, The New Folk Implosion. All we need now are the old Sebadoh records to be reissued so a new generation can begin to fall in love with this guys music. If this guy has been moving you all your life, pick up this album and be moved some more. I can't say enough about the man. I can't wait to hear what he does next.

Lou Barlow started his career in a hardcore band, Deep Wound. Once the time came to move on from that band, Barlow reunited with Deep Wound member J. Mascis in Dinosaur. They released a few albums before their differences became too involving, so Barlow departed and formed Sebadoh. Like Stephen Malkmus of Pavement started a wave of inspiration for artists who had the aspirasions but not the voice to sing, Barlow and Sebadoh inspired lo-fi artists to bask in their sound lesser quality, but more raw sound.

Since he formed Sebadoh, Barlow has released a number of side projects, include a lo-fi (non-folk) rock group, Folk Implosion, among others.

Let's get this out there: "Home" should be considered contender for song of the year. It is pure and simple-brilliant song. It's one of the most layered tracks on this lo-fi release. It also possesses an incredible melody and beautiful lyrics that from Lou Barlow's vocals just become essential to the songs quality. "Legendary" is another amazing song that about half way through, once the beat is introduced, becomes one of the most hypnotic songs on the album. The chorus of "Royalty" is the best on the album, and a reason it is one of the albums best songs. After "Home", "Caterpillar Girl" is the next most layered track. It's a little heavier than the rest, but just as beautiful. "Puzzle" is a beautifully melodic song from beginning to end. Other excellent tracks to note are "If I Could", "Monkey Begun", "Holding Back The Year", "Round-N-Round", "Mornings After Me", "The Ballad Of Daykitty", "Confused" and "Imagined Life".

If you pay close attention, you should have noticed that's just about every song on the album. It's that good; the only track I will often skip is "Mary".

I stumbled upon this album from looking at other indie folk releases this year, like "Black Sheep Boy" by Okkervil River and "Picaresque" by The Decemberists. Now let me be the first to say, that this release is right up there with both of those aforementioned [titanic] albums as the best indie folk releases this year, and what a great year it has proven to be!

I am really sad that no one else appreciated how deliciously blasphemous the song "Mary" is. Along with the commonly mentioned tracks "Puzzle" and "Caterpillar Girl" it is the highlight of this CD in my opinion.

I saw Lou perform in San Francisco last night. It was the first time in 12 years I had seen him live, but I had to go to the show once I heard this album. It is pure unadulterated Lou Barlow, with sometimes touching, sometimes hilarious lyrics and excellent melodies. If you ever enjoyed listening to Sebadoh (which I spent my entire teenage years doing) you will want to buy this album; it has the same heart LB has always had, but with more life (and musical) experience shining through.

I love this CD. The arrangements are done with just the right touch. The vocals are solid. The musicianship is top drawer. If I have a complaint, it's that the lyrics could be a bit tighter and that they are a bit maudlin, but you can say that about just about all good indie rock. It seems to come with the genre.

Lou Barlow is one of the most talented singer/songwriters in pop music today. He should be a star. By that I don't mean, MTV and commercial radio stardom, but the college radio crowd should be playing this CD and buying it by the shovelful.

Mr. Barlow has every element of artistically driven pop music nailed down except one, style. He isn't a poseur. He looks and acts like a rather dour, mild-mannered geek. And to my mind, that's the one thing that's keeping Mr. Barlow and this CD from being a commercial success.

This is one of those albums that you'll find in a record cutout bin a few years from now, buy it because it's a bargain, play it and say, "Why wasn't this a hit?" You can say that about a lot of CDs that should get attention but don't. Likely, someone who makes it big in a few years will mention this CD as a big influence. It's the kind of music that other musicians love, but maybe the public just isn't ready for. Big Star. Joe Henry. Graham Parker. The list goes on and on of great, but no buzz acts that sound better and better in hindsight.

To read all of this review or many more like it check out my music review blog @ http://twowaymonologues.blogspot.com

"Hit me like a kick to a thickening gut, the beat has gone beaten me up. No-one's gonna lift me out of this rut, the groove has gone ground me to dust. Knocking on the wrong cocoon. spun another web of lies.

And then you break through
And dry before my eyes
Take me with you, where you hide tonight.

Did You feel the beat in a fetal curl? Could you be original caterpillar girl?
Crawling up the vine, splitting your spine.
Flowing through the motion, leave your shell behind.

And then you break through
And dry before my eyes
Take me with you, where you hide tonight.
Away, alone, look out.
The birds, like me, want you now.
Caterpillar come out."

Those are the words to the latest in my favourite song of 2005 thus far. Something tells me though this song has a serious chance of maintaining that esteemed title for a long long while. The song is called "Caterpillar Girl" and considering i've had/have a few caterpillar girls in my life the lyrics of the song are just all the more powerful and relevant to my life. The song is by the wonderful Lou Barlow whom if you didn't know was the lead singer of Dinosaur Jr, Folk Implosion and is the lead singer of Sebadoh. Somewhat hilariously I have never been a big fan of Sebadoh, don't know any songs by Dinosaur Jr and never invested much time in Folk Implosion. Yet somehow I came to be a proud new owner of Lou Barlow's brand new solo album "Emoh". How did that happen?

Well, I really didn't plan on buying the album. I read a few things about it, and decided to download it and review it for the website. Then like so often happens I ended up really liking it, and after a few more listens that like became a love and within a week or getting it on my computer I bought the album. I consider myself to be an unique position where I can review thi album on the merit of the album, without having to worry about comparing it to Barlow's current/previous bands he has been involved with. For a long time fan of Lou Barlow's work it must be hard to accurately review a solo album like this. I honestly can say I am thankful I don't have that burden.

Barlow's style of music on this album can be described to me as being reminiscient of Elliot Smith without the underlying tones of suicide that always accompanied Elliot's music. You could also compare him to Bright Eyes, Damien Rice, and Ben Folds. More or less you can compare him to most of the solo sparse sounding, strong song writing, with heavy emphasis on the guitar group. And unlike the title you can't really call the sound emo. I mean yeah it is emotional no doubt, but emo is closer to punk and nobody in their right mind would call anything on this album anything near punk. The production stands out on the album, with everything sounding very crisp and creative. In terms of range this album has more range than say Bright Eyes did, but most albums that fall into this kinda sound end up being a bit restricted in the amount of range they can show.

............

When I heard "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" a few weeks back, I was convinced it would be the best album of its type that came out in 2005. I was very wrong. Lou Barlow one ups his young competition with "Emoh". The album has more range, superior lyrics, and more style than the Bright Eyes album. And if you read the Bright Eyes review that is saying something. Like I said 14 songs, and 50 minutes and not one minute of it is regrettable. The entire album works so cohesively. Everything from the order of the tracks, to the use of different instruments, and even the decision of where to sprinkle the upbeat songs to keep the listener from hitting a rut is noteworthy. I don't know if this will tempt me into going back and looking more closely at Sebadoh, Dinosaur Jr, and Folk Implosion because from what I can gather this is considerably different than that. But what I do know is we have an early candidate for album of the year.

Tracks you should download: Anything I mentioned, but quite frankly any of the 14 songs on the album are in my opinion download worthy.

SCORE: 9.15 (I reserve the right to reconsider this score at a later date. But I want to leave some wiggle room for future albums that I hear that might top this wonderful record.)

Ok, I have to say Lou Barlow is one of the greatest songwriters of all time. EmoH, home back wards was suggested by Adam Harding. Even though the cd is called emoh its indeed a master peace of beautiful and brilliant songs. Probably Lou Barlow's best work since Bakesale.

i just wanted to say that i am obsessed with the song caterpillar girl and could be the best song of all time.

.. I just had to chime in and cast my vote also. It's a great album. I've watched Barlow's non-Dinsoaur Jr. projects evolve over 15 years... he's somehow managed to retain his obscure, totally independent, somewhat self-indulgent, ballad-lullabye, slow-stoner croonings, while mushing them into pop-sounding hits! That's fancy talk for: these still sound like Barlow, yet they sound more and more like "Songs"! And I like it! Thanks, Lou, keep up the good work...

Lou will always keep himself busy. Short tours with Sebadoh, then a solo-tour and of course the reincarnation of the legendary line-up of Dinosaur JR.

Lou's solo stuff has always been the exact opposite of the extremely loud and minimalistic Dinosaur records. He has refined his songwriting and his shows are slowly turning into greatest hits concerts of the last 15 years. And many songs of 'Emoh' can be included in it as well.

His songwriting hasn't changed signficantly since the last Sebadoh albums. But this time it's acoustic and more refined. Just Lou and a guitar, with some instrumentation behind it, most on the beautiful 'Caterpillar Girl'.

'Legendary' is a beautiful soft song, and so is 'Puzzle'. Heck, there's not a bad song on here.

Highlight for me is the funny, maybe for some blasphemous 'Mary' about what really might have happened to Jesus, Josef and Mary.

Great CD by a great songsmith.