Customer Reviews

Great Beast February & Comasynthesis

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After having to pull my jaw off the floor upon hearing Out of The Fierce Parade, I had to get this ep of earlier material. Upon hearing the opening track, "Naked Girl", I was impressed with how fully developed their sound was from the start. Staking a ground between Radiohead and Superchunk, The Velvet Teen blow away the very idea that they're yet another Emo band. While there songs are emotionally packed, thanks to the introspective lyrics delivered by the fantastically smooth and flexible vocals, it doesn't read like pages from a whiner's self important journal. We are talking craft here.

Admittedly it sort of dragged for me towards the end. If I hadn't heard the superior version of "Penning The Penultimate" from Fierce Parade I'd probably feel different. That said I was pleasantly surprised by the more electronically enhanced tracks.
"Counting Backwards" with its deconstructed 80s bits had worried at the start but totally won me over by the end on sheer momentum and a wink. "Your Cell" is a compelling hermetically sealed world of keyboard effects and guitar riffs that rise and fall from the mix. "Super Me" sports tastefully intergrated sound effects (are they real?) and pretty piano. But it isn't all filligree though. "Never Happy" pushes forward with a rock steady lunges of guitar and keyboards.

Can you tell I love this?! Recommended for those who aren't afraid of honest real emotionally packed music.The electronics are more pronounced here than the debut so this may effect some people's enjoyment. Can't wait to see where they go.Wipes out mere radio pop right off the stage with assurance and skill.

I have seen them live, I have all of their albums, even compilations, did I mention how great their music is? It is amazing and brilliant. Simple as that. You can listen to it over and over and never be sick of it. The music has so many dimensions its crazy awesome! check it out! You'll be very happy you did.

The first time I heard Velvet Teen I was listening to a college radio station, and it completely blew me away. Never had I heard such beautiful music on the radio before. The song I heard on the radio was "Your Cell" and although when I bought the ep the other songs didn't sound like "your cell" they all still blew me away. Every song on the disc is better than the last(even if you put your cd player on shuffel). The Velvet Teen web site compares the band to Jeff Buckley, Radiohead and Sigur Ros. I agree completely with the comparisons. In fact when I said this was the best album I bought in months, I really meant this is the best album I bought since the last Sigur Ros album came out. I recomend this ep to every one, also check out their debut album.

Wow! What a fabulous album. It has a permanent residence in my car cd player. Naked Girl is such a great way to start the cd, but only a hint of Velvet Teen goodness. Mother of Love would have to be my favorite song on the cd, but I can argue for any one of the tracks, none of which are lacking. Super Me and Milo 7 are supremely cheerful, almost poppy, but still spifferific.
So here's the rundown:

Naked Girl: Uber cool rock. The intro makes me want to dance around giddily.
Counting Backwards: High paced with some most excellent vocals
Mother of Love: A beautiful ballad, my favorite of the cd.
Your Cell: This song caught me off guard at first, with the beat and electronic effects, but it's grown on me a bunch.
Super Me: Super song. Thunder noises. =)
Never Happy: A sort of oddball song, but very satisfying guitar wobblings.
Milo 7: Probably my least favorite song on the cd, but I still am very fond of it. Can't say what it reminds me of.
Penning the Penultimate: Another fabulous ballad, very sad.
Reverie to Chanticleer: Is true to the name, very dreamy, with just vocals and very quiet electric guitar for the first half of the song, and remains a very dreamy and calm ending to a great album.

Get it! No regrets! I wish you the best!

This is an amazing CD. I think I might like it even more than 'Out of the Fierce Parade', and I absolutely adore that.

The Velvet Teen combine sad songs with wonderful upbeat songs. Judah Nagler has the most amazing voice, and really, I can't think of anything bad to say about this fantastic band. They're my absolute favourite.

Although this release is now considered relatively "old" by industry standards, it is relatively new to me and I can't stop listening.
This material IS as good as the more publicized releases that followed and sets the stage for the group's ongoing ingenuity. It combines indie pop rock elements with smooth, often subtle and sometimes hooky electronic underpinnings. For new TVT listeners, all tracks should be placed in the "must listen first" category, but to help narrow it down for you: I can't get bored with "Naked Girl" (especially the feedback "fillers" that are downright pleasurable); and "Counting Backwards" complete with the anticipation of Logan Whitehurst's driving drum fills, Josh Staples' confident, artful bass coverage (a given), and a whimsical automatic mini-latin-cowbell-sampler which introduces the track that tickles my fancy so much I often re-start the song immediately to hear it again (I suspect this was Whitehurst's contribution but I could be wrong) . Next in line is "Mother of Love", which takes a hearing or two to realize that it is a hymn to love (DUH-some of us are a bit slow on the uptake), complete with some of the most mature, poignant and stirring vocal harmonies I've ever heard on a pop album considering the youth of the trio at that time. I can't think of a comparable song like it-it is quite moving and doesn't require a sanctuary to appreciate. Judah Nagler is simply a prize. His vocals remind me of a young Bono circa "War"-young, rough at times, unpretentious-but uniquely vulnerable on each track. I get the sense he is the one who pushes the group forward creatively, but genuinely thrives on the fertile grounding of his gifted counterparts. "Milo 7 " is another favorite, which has the piano hook that makes me wish I alone had been chosen to play it. Finally, I love the quiet, broody and completely honest "Penning the Penultimate" by Whitehurst. Having read and heard about him as he is now gone, I see the song as a confession of the private pain which he likely would not have revealed other than in a song. He is such a loss to so many. My least favorite track is "Reverie to Chanticleer"-it is rather slow and the instrumentals are too spare. Of course, all of the lyrics are thoughtful, artful, intelligent, and of course, pure poetry. (I suggest printing them out to see what you are missing). Overall, I never tire of this particular recording-it is thick with ingenuity and feeling, and I just plain can't get the melodies out of my head.

HOT DAMN!
We Santa Rosans rule. Judah's little bro Ephriam Nagler(who is also mighty talented and cute) went to my high school and hung with me and friends and so I've been a fan of these guys since 11th grade(bout 4 years now guess). Used to see them at every local show and they are brilliant. This is the first album of thiers that I bought and it is still my favorite. I knew you guys would make it. Love you dearly.