Customer Reviews

The Finest Thing

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

 

 

I'm pretty new to Lori Carson. Actually I discovered her music with this album and purchased her previous ones after. The reviewer below is 200% wrong, I bet he put his point after one listen. Pretentious??? Why? Because it's mostly instrumental? This is a stupid statement. It's not pretentious by any mean, it's a space, relaxing, magnificent music that goes deep in a flow of memories, images and emotions. And anyone at least sensitive would notice that this new album is the logical evolution of her style. Lori doesn't even sound like the conventional songwriter in those previous records, to the contrary of what the amazon editorial reviewer says: the way she performs her songs leaves space to the senses, it sounds fragile, sensual, subtle and moving. It's pretty more a physical thing than a brainy one. And an album like "Everything I Touch Runs Wild" is like the soundtrack of a love story. THE FINEST THING is looking for the essence of what you need in music. This is the music you need when the words don't help. This is music replacing the words. This music SPEAKS, and is far to be bleak. Sometime in his life an artist miss words, but the emotions remain, and the music wants to marry the silence, or a blue evening sky. On THE FINEST THING, the music sounds like the peaceful, wonderful kingdom of a new-born baby: he doesn't have the words yet, but he's open to a heartfelt paradise. Life is that wonder.

"Quick as you wish you could make it last, it goes that fast." -- lyrics from the song "The Finest Thing."

That's how I felt after listening to the marvelous new CD by Lori Carson. Luckily, I have my own copy and can listen as often as I want!! ;-)

Lori Carson has made another wondrous CD of beautiful, soul-touching music. "The Finest Thing" is a truly unique collection of ethereal, haunting and entrancing songs.... I love it!!!

While somewhat of a departure from her previous discs == i've read that lori calls the tracks 'meditations' == "The Finest Thing" manages to fit nicely among her other recordings, while at the same time going deeper and pushing different sonic edges. Her voice and singing have never been better!

IMHO, it's more than worth the price for the title track alone and a lush recording of the rare tune "Glimmer." Some of the songs remind me of a soundtrack to a movie, and brings to mind her standout contribution to the "Crazy/Beautiful" soundtrack, "I want to believe you." (One of my favorite Lori songs.)

Lori's always contributed amazing songs to movie soundtacks (See her awesome collection "Stolen Beauty"), but this CD makes me want to hear her score a film all the way through.

All in all, definitely a must-have for any music lover.

This is one of my favorite cd's of the past couple of years. Such beautiful arrangements of vocal and non vocal tracks -- all evocative. Carson has an uncanny lyrical sensibility not usually heard on pop music's illiterate landscape. "Coney Island Ride" is a perfect example -- very Joni Mitchell. This cd will not disappoint if your looking for a quiet, soothing listen.

Some of Carson's earlier work is just great ('Shelter', 'Where It Goes'). Even the recordings that are spotty ('Stars' & 'Everything I Touch Runs Wild') have some stellar moments. 'Finest Thing' does not favorably compare to the iffy disks, let alone to her first two. This is not even as good as the bogged down 'House in the Weeds'.

Some of the songs here are way too ethereal or just down right new-agey (mostly instrumentals "Long Walk", "She Can't Dance" "Grey World & 'Glimmer'). Too Julee Cruise/Twin Peaks-ish, but w/out the cool vocals.

When Carson does use her vocals they are still interesting, but too few and far between on this disk. I still love when she harmonizes w/herself.

I applaud the fact she writes, plays and produces just about everything she does. However, I think she benefited from Anton Fier's production on earlier works (and w/the Golden Palominos).

This is a much different CD from Lori Carson's other CDs. It shows another side to Carson's music that I was thrilled to hear! The songs' emotional music trigger deep thoughts and speak to your soul... As always, Lori Carson's amazingly beautiful voice and powerful lyrics made songs like "Hold On To The Sun" specially great! Another one of my favorites on this album is "Glimmer". Finest Thing is a brilliant work of art that keeps you wanting more. I highly recommend this to everyone who enjoys good music!

Listening to her now makes you think that any sort of maturity in her music stalled with "Shelter". This album, apparently representing deep meditations can be simply compared to the pretentiousness that is ridiculed in past SNL's "deep thoughts by jack handey"
Perhaps she would do well to collaborate with some evolved musician who can distance the music a bit from their deep thoughts or painful self-reflections. Snore........!
I would say this album is typically the self-indulgent, self-referential style that that seems to be part of her recent artistic make-up.
There is little to nothing to take away from her music, nor anything that enhancies your experience of music. It non-inclusive, and hence leaves you feeling a bit desserted and cheated at the end.