Everything Changed

Abra Moore

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 23, 2004)
• Original Release Date: March 23, 2004
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Koch Records
• ASIN: B0001CCYCY
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #132,082 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
"Every once in awhile, something's got to break to give," Abra Moore forewarns in the opening track amid a heavenly, uplifting, gorgeously melodic declaration of love. The line foreshadows what awaits on Everything Changed, the most emotionally arresting account of a relationship's rise and fall since Matthew Sweet's 1991 masterwork Girlfriend. Along the way are several irresistibly buoyant should-be pop smashes--"I Do," "Big Sky," and "Shining Star" could all scale the charts--balanced against the more measured melodic grace of "If You Want Me To" and "Taking Chances." The deepest cuts, though, are the straight-shooting piano ballads including the title track and "Family Affair," in which Moore cries out, "Don't take away the one love that matters," her voice quaking with unmistakable heartbreak. --Peter Blackstock

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five stars and lots of tissues!, April 1, 2004

By	Angie Engles (Columbia, MD United States) - See all my reviews

What can you write about an album that breaks your heart and lifts it up at the same time? I had never heard of Abra Moore before I bought this CD. I took a chance after hearing "I Do" off a sampler CD from PASTE magazine. If you've given up on the recording industry and don't think modern music has anything to offer, just listen to EVERYTHING CHANGED.

Abra Moore's voice is hard to categorize but if I had to: I'd say she sounds a bit like Victoria Williams and Billie Holiday with the intimacy and innocence of Karen Carpenter's voice thrown in. The truth is, though, that Ms. Moore is foremost her own person. She writes her own lyrics, plays several instruments (including the drums) and isn't afraid to throw away the formulas of pop. (I read somewhere she was originally encouraged to be like Michelle Branch or one of Ms. Branch's many sound-a-likes; instead of going that route, she revamped the album she was working on and came out with one of the most dreamlike, heartwrenching CDs you will ever hear.)

The opening track "I Do" is a lush, positive song and gives comfort to those lonely feelings you get late at night. From the beginning notes to the lovely bridge, this song takes off and flies. No words can capture its beauty.

"No Fear," "Taking Chances" and "Melancholy Love" all have a slight edge to them which provides relative ease from the more heart-breaking moments on the album. These are the more happy, in-control songs.

"Family Affair" and "Pull Away" are perhaps the best songs I've heard on any album in the past ten years. They pull at your heart and won't let go and if you've just been going through some issues of your own, you better reach for those tissues. I dare you to listen to: "Don't take away the one love that matters./And I'll get well, you'll see. You're all I have, you're my family." and not lose it. It's not just the words, it's the way she exposes her whole self on the album, the way the simple lushness of the music reminds you of the days when harmony really MATTERED in a song.

I can only wonder if I'll ever hear an album this good again.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars She's back ... and better than ever!, April 12, 2004

By	M. Carter "divineragbag" (Rock Hill, SC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Welcome back, Abra! After a six-year departure from music scene, every indie pop/folk/rock lover's favorite unknown artist has returned ... and what a return EVERYTHING CHANGED is.

Abra's newest album shows her in true, rare form and marks her return to the type of folk/pop music that influenced the latest influx of pseudo-indie teenage singer/songwriters. She uses electronic arrangements and unusual instruments (French horns, anyone?) to showcase her ethereal, gossamer vocals and simple, beautiful lyrics. These arrangements never overpower Abra's piano work or vocals; instead, they allow them to become the album's splendid centerpiece.

Every song on EVERYTHING CHANGED offers a marvelously candid, frank view of romantic and familial relationships. The album's emotional highlights include "Family Affair" and "Paint on Your Wings," two stunning songs that Abra wrote just after her father's death. "Big Sky" and "Taking Chances" are a pair of intelligent pop smash hits waiting to top the music charts. "Pull Away" and "I Win" detail the emotional aftermath of a messy breakup. "Shining Star" proves to be a soothing yet stately finale to an amazingly simplistic, beautiful record.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True and truer., June 27, 2004

By	C. Francis (London) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I feel this CD is just as delicious as eating a favorite delicacy you just can't get enough of. My first Abra purchase I do admit, all I knew of her was the 'Four Leaf Clover' hit a while back. But after listening to the first couple of tracks in a local Barnes & Noble, I knew I had to have it! Her voice is unusual, making listening more interesting. A must have for those whose taste for music is eclectic and beautiful.