Customer Reviews

England Made Me

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Black Box Recorder is a hidden treasure and their first album, "England Made Me", is by far their best work. A hauntingly shy voice, behind the low tones of a variety of instruments, make up the collection, harvesting and provoking the silly thoughts of morbid children: Life is Unfair, Kill Yourself or Get Over it ("Child Psychology").

Each song on the album, possesses its own charisma, sometimes playing on the ideas of death and decay and other times relishing is mischevious childhood fantasies. "Girl Singing In the Wreckage" is a ballad of a young woman examining her very state of being, acknowledging the sad normality of her existance and at the same time, inventing a sense of mystery about herself. The track "England Made Me", weaves a tale of a disturbing characters who admits to 'sleeping with the enemy before betraying both sides'.

For the poet in all of us, the lyrics are infactuating. For the musician in all of us, the tunes are somber and delightful. One can expect Black Box Recorder to take you from your bedroom in the attic to an enchanted pixie-garden, where the faeries read H.P. Lovecraft, steal cars and smoke cigarettes until dawn.
- Jonathan H.

In an ideal world music like this would be the mainstream whereas N'Sync would be constantly rejected as they try to get a recorddeal. Then again, in an ideal world I wouldn't be single... But I digress. What I really wanna say is that this album is unique. It's unique because it is lowkey, understated and thoroughly devoid of pathos:- & quite honestly, when a certain band actually manages to remind me that I can enjoy music which focuses on these very three traits I just have to applaud them. When I first put the album in my stereo I expected a diverse collection of styles & sounds. Instead, I was taken aback by the album's simplicity, by the fact that it doesn't take more than a really great female singer (Sarah Nixey), an undistorted electric guitar & occasional drumbeats/bellchimes to make enchanting music. Admittedly, the single "Child Psychology"'s stark message feels a little out of place within Luke Haines & John Moore's lyrical subtleties that:- Along with their melodies:- create a pensive & often eerie atmosphere as symbolically depicted by the English beach photographed in the sleeve. As most good albums this one also works best when taken in one piece as it truly sets a contemplative mood, like when you take a really long drive to the sunset but the feeling isn't romantic but rather bittersweet. Unsurprisingly, the bonus songs actually add to the album & save it from its only minus:- Brevity. That & the fact that it contains no less than three (!) coverversions ("Up Town Top Ranking" just doesn't work, sorry) but other than that it's a winner. For an acquired taste, that is.

If you're like me, you've been waiting for a new Auteurs album for the past couple of years. Thankfully, Luke Haines he's seen to it to release a couple of side projects- this being one, and the other Baader Meinhoff. Where this is different than typical Haines musings is in its lack of big 70's guitars and hooks. Black Box recorder is lush pop. It's mostly sung by Sarah Nixey, but Haines provides harmonies and background vocals on most of the tracks. England Made Me could be the ultimate rainy day pop gem. I can't conjure up meaningful enough words to describe this album. Child psychology and the title track are the two best cuts, but nothing else disappoints. You owe it to yourself to buy this album!!

The songs here are so alluringly gloomy that I want to have sex with all of them. But of course they'd reject me. They always do.

There was really nothing quite like "England Made Me" when it appeared in 1999. Black Box Recorder consists of Sarah Nixey, John Moore, and Luke Haines formerly known for his time with The Autuers. While Black Box Recorder did retain the same highly literate quality The Autuers bought to their songs, they dove deeper into the coated and subtle nuances of English life. The mix of lovely pop tunes with the ice cold pragmatism of Haines and Moore's lyrics filtered through Sarah Nixey's whispery vocals has the effect of poison....that's been sweetened. "England Made Me" could pass through the ears as a whisper in the background, or it could pull on your heart strings so heavily that it melts everything around it. As they touch on everything from childhood depression to kidnap and murder, they achieved a mix of social commentary and melodic pop accessibility that would only be bettered by their next album.

STANDOUT TRACKS: 02- ENGLAND MADE ME, 06- CHILD PSYCHOLOGY, 10- KIDNAPPING AN HEIRESS, 13- WONDERFUL LIFE, 15- FACTORY RADIO

If you're a fan of trip-freaky-pop then England band Black Box Recorder is perfect for your taste. Black Box Recorder has cough my attention with lyrics like "It's my primary instinct to protect the child GIRL SINGING IN THE WRECKAGE", I would say that BLack Box REcorder has unemotional yet haunting lyrics. Sarah's vocals are very conversative..."Some people think this song is pretentious and highbrow, but it has the best chorus written in the history of pop music," and indeed, "Life is unfair/Kill yourself or get over it", said band member Haines. I certainly think it's true.

An intelligent debut album, with a sparse sound that is reminiscent of Portisead and Pulp. Dark lyrics about childhood trauma and British suburban angst, and pretty female vocals. The "Seasons in the Sun" cover is great!

I was visiting a friend in Liverpool when I first heard this CD. Apparently, it's quite popular there. I had gotten sort of a mixed message about this at first and thought - wait, you're an anarchist, then? when my mate had said how much he'd liked this CD. Of course, that was the wrong notion - but an obvious reaction from me, a person which sooo much pride of my nationality. Yet still .. if your English .. be aware of the love/hate relations they tend to describe. (Hey .. their from Surrey .. what do you expect, then?)
The first song I'd heard was "Child Psychology", which I thought was quite interesting, and overall different. Then I'd heard "Kidnapping an Heiress" which is also a fabulous song, not a popularish style w/ current culture, mind you, which is why I think I liked it. Yet the whole CD really is like this - breaking the mold of pop culture. Those two songs remain my favourite .. yet I must listen to "Girl Singing in the Wreckage" (a song of personal values) or "England Made Me" (let's all blame our problems on the country we live in, okay?) or of course, "New Baby Boom" (I think it deals with teenage pregnancy issues - but have been too slow to figure that one out yet) and the remake of "Seasons in the Sun" (which I like much better than original version). Nixey's voice compliments the songs .. which adds to it all - and Luke Haines (the bloke from The Auteurs) really makes the CD.
I like BBR's twist on various styles of music - yet with a bit of a death-obsessed look upon things (which everyone knows is refreshing once and a while) -which is fine, because they're still brilliant. This CD seems to roll over all matters in our bright little English society- past and present, with a "glass-half-empty" pessimistic view on things.
I've listened to this CD probably about 50 times over since first hearing it. And driving back to London, it was rather lulling to listen to. With the exception of the 80's-esque songs like "Lord Lucan is Missing" and the rather drab "Uptown Top Ranking" (which has a sort of slang that makes you say .. eh??) I have to say that I rather like Black Box Recorder and just relish this CD and wish there were more to it - going to buy Facts of Life next. Just feel that mood-setting look on things were nothing really matters - "kill yourself or get over it".
The CD captures all of your feelings of your day, times you've been over in the past - it's perfectly expressive and absolutely fabulous. It has to be my most favourite CD of all time .. so if that says much --- you have to buy England Made Me! The ultimate message, however, I'm not quite sure - yet this CD is just bloody good and I suppose that's all that matters, am I or am I not right?

England made me, and black box is a rather down-cast eyes version of sub culture soft goth.
It carries overtones of meloncholy and twisted smiles.
I personally love it, and will often have it playing in the background while I do various things around my home.
Sometimes parts are a little surprising, but even the happy moments, rather remind one of the happy clown.... sitting in the corner, with the twisted grin and dirty face.

A good start for BBR, very short but sensitive tracks, starting from "Girl singing in the wreckage". Sarah Nixey's voice is a revelation. A must have for electronic pop lovers.