Customer Reviews

Hello

5 star:		(98)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There was a brief mention in a book review in a recent Newsweek article that Poe will have her second album coming out this summer! (The author of the book being reviewed is her brother, apparently.) I look forward to it.

I keep her first album in heavy rotation. I got it because of her sole radio cut, "Angry Johnny". When I first heard the remainder of the album, I nearly chucked it out the back window. It seems that my musical tastes had not yet expanded to appreciate her style. Grimly, I gave her another chance and spun the CD a few more times. Now, I remember my first reaction and think that I must be dumber than a box of rocks.

"Hello" is an excellent album, one of the best I've ever heard...challenging, complex, with a seeming multitude of genres represented in just a dozen or so songs. The lyrics are clever, the vocals are great, the music is just pure gold. I wish I could find some way to express the sheer joy this album brings me without sounding like some pathetic fanboy. (Too late!)

I especially like it when she slows it down and approaches ballad territory, in "Fingertips", "Fly Away", and "Beautiful Girl". This last track is my absolute favorite, ripe with a yearning poignancy. But much as she can strip it down to the bare bones of intimacy, she can also punch it right back up and rock out with the best of them.

Strong, funny, wry...a great album by a very much unappreciated artist.

It takes three or four listenings to get the full impact of this part-rock, part-trip hop, part-blues release from Poe. The tone itself is a little schizophrenic, from the lush opener "Hello" to the amusingly psychotic "Trigger Happy Jack" and "Angry Johnny." She moves onto the dreamy "Dolphin" and the melancholy "Fly Away" after taking a detour into the spoken word in "That Day."

So if you're a fan of Tori Amos, Beth Orton, Fiona Apple, Dido, Kate Bush, Veda Hille, Liz Phair, Sarah McLachlan, Garbage, PJ Harvey, or Norah Jones, I strongly suggest that you get this CD, and her brilliant follow-up, "Haunted" (and a copy of her brother Mark's HOUSE OF LEAVES. Craaaaaazy book.)

If you're a current Poe fan looking for a fix, try Conjure One's self-titled debut, where Poe sings several incredible songs, and the Great Expectations soundtrack, for her song "Today."

i bought this album not really knowing what to expect. one of those impulse purchases. you know what i mean. beforehand, i'd heard a lot about poe, how she's supposedly pretty talented and her album makes you wish she'd put out another, all that. and you know, i think they were right.

i was pretty taken aback by 'hello'. poe's sweet and quirky and melodic voice just sort of sank right in. usually it takes me some time to get comfortable with a record, but this one is a quick tonic. what with the strange and unique lyrics that sound more like stream of consciousness writing, coupled with poe's strong and moody ambience, it's very easy to get caught in the flow of things. the songs vary in personality--from the manic 'trigger happy jack' and 'choking the cherry' to the romantic 'fingertips' and 'fly away', this album proves that not only can a girl be bitingly sarcastic and intelligent, but also do it with grace and style.

either way, this album, even though i know absolutely nothing about the girl and still unsure as to what planet she's coming from, is a wonderful change of pace. more artists, both male and female, should take a quickstudy from poe and realize that the same old shtick of superficial lyrics and vocals so diluted by digital means just isn't what a lot of people are craving. and even though this record is nearly 5 years old, its originality and sincerity enables it to remain a classic.

This woman is awesome! I was skeptical to listen to it 5 years ago as it was in the collection of a die hard Tori Amos and Allanis fan. Now I kow there are a lot of fans out there for those two gals but I personally do not like their music. So I thought for sure this would be something I would hate. I was so completely wrong! This cd is one of the most original collections of music you can find.
There are no genres of music left unturned, folk, rock, jazz and everything inbetween. She is brutally honest with a great sense of humor.
Add to that she has an amazing voice.
It was such a long wait between her two cd's and Im guessing it will be even longer for her third. But thankfully her two cd's she has given us will keep our ears and minds entertained until she can record again.
BTW: everyone I have played this for over the years from Tupac fans to my mom have found something on this cd to like. That says a lot. You wont be dissapointed.

If you like trippy, jazzy ambient beats, coupled with tracks that rock, you should pick up this CD.

I became aware of Poe about 2 years ago when MTV was playing "Angry Johnny" on 120 Minutes and the local alt rock station had a remix of "Hello" in heavy rotation. I was impressed by both tracks but never made it to the CD shop to pick up the CD.

I bought it last week and have not been disappointed at all. I'm listening to it daily. Every track is solid, and the album is amazingly eclectic. Hard, jazzy and dancy at the same time. In addition, Poe's lyrics are poignant and fresh. Her team of songwriters is to be commended. Finally, her voice is heavenly. I especially enjoy female artists, and she is among the best I've heard.

Hope she gets around to releasing another album soon.

I'd never really even heard a Poe song a month ago, but while looking at some lists on this site, I saw that people who like some artists who I like (Jewel, Fiona Apple, Liz Phair etc.) also liked Poe so I started thinking about giving the CD a try. When I was at the library one day, I went over to the CD section (yes, you can check out CDs at my library) to see if they had Poe CDs. Lucky for me, they did so I got it to try out. I put the CD into my boombox, having no idea what to expect. The first thing I noticed was her voice. There's just something about it that I really like. As I listened to the CD, I became more and more impressed and even more so when I listened to the CD over and over again. I knew I had to buy it, so I ordered it off of amazon. Here's what I have to say about all of the songs.

Hello-A good opener. It pulls you in with it's "na na na na na na" and doesn't let you go. 5/5

Trigger Happy Jack-One of the most rockish songs on the album and my personal fave. "You can't talk to a pshyco like a normal human being". So true. 6/5

Choking the Cherry-Another rockish track. Awesome song. 5/5

That Day-A lower key song with amazing lyrics. "Called my mother said 'hi'/ What I meant to say is 'why is your life a joke?'" 5/5

Angry Johnny-Probably one of the most famous songs on this album and for good reason. It's the calmest song about killing someone that I've ever heard. 5/5

Dolphin-A folkier song. Good lyrics. 4/5

Another World-Great to sing along to! It has a jazzy feel. 5/5

Fingertips-Another jazzy song. Love the intro. It gets your attention. 4.75/5

Beautiful Girl-Her voice is amazing on this song. A slower song but still great. 4.5/5

Junkie-Another rockish song, though not quite as rockish as the other two. Great lyrics."I like the way you wear your grin/ I even like the taste of my will caving in." 5/5

Fly Away-A slow song. Her voice sounds really good on this track! When this song is over, don't press stop yet because there's a little extra something before the CD ends. 4.5/5

Overall, an incredibly impressive album that everyone should own (even my mom liked ot and she doesn't even particularly like Fiona!!).

I just got 'HELLO' about six months ago and am already angry that there isnt more recordings by this artist. Jazz is the major influnce here, but Poe kicks it up another notch. Raging guitars and dance beats swirl arround one incredible voice and intelligent lyrics. The way She can incorperate Sci-Culture and words like "Modem" into her songs, blows me away! If a male singer would sing the words "Jedi Mind Trick!" he would be a cliche'd geek. For a woman to use it is almost unheard of, and incredibly sexy in my book. She also makes brilliant observations of (Her own and others) self defeating behavior, painful past, and hidden urges. Experimentation is also abundant, exuding confidence that only adds to the appeal.

Poe is one of those few artists who manages to speak to a listener personally, without sounding whiny or artificial. Her work is not feminist driven, yet gives females a strong voice. With the recent onslaught of bubblegum fake girls (Spears, Aguilera, Moore, Simpson), it is refreshing to hear a solo artist with substance. Poe's lyrics are witty, insightful, and biting. Then to truly complement her lyrics are a sound unlike any other. She cannot be compared. Each song presents a different vibration of rhythm. An added bonus: you won't find a single song that has her pining after some guy. Poe takes an active role as demonstrated by "Trigger Happy Jack" and "Junkie." Despite her strong stance about men, Poe is not afraid to get personal and honest. But she does this in a way where the listener can relate whole-heartedly. Just listen to "That Day" and "Fly Away" for examples. My only problem is that this is Poe's only album; she seems to have dropped off the face of the earth. Then again, I don't know how "Hello" could be topped. This is one of those true gems that I listen to constantly, even after five years. How many CD's have you owned for five years that get weekly play? I assure you that Poe's sound is truly unique, yet a wholesome nourishment that never goes stale.

While Hello lacks the overall storytelling ability that made Haunted such an amazing listen, nothing else is different. Poe's vocals still shine in a laid-back, almost not trying sense. The lyrics are extremely clever and unflinchingly honest. Any fan of Poe's would expect nothing less. However different Hello is to Haunted, this is still undeniably Poe.

I started being a fan of Poe after hearing Haunted. It wasn't until recently that I decided to go back and listen to her first disc, Hello. As great as this CD is I still prefer Haunted to it. But Hello has it's genius moments. I think the time spent in between records gave her time to mature her vocals and lyrics a bit but for the most part, I'm really happy with what we're give here. Whether it's the wittiness of Trigger Happy Jack to the understatedness of Angry Johnny, this is an entertaining listen throughout.

Hello starts off pretty good and is a fairly good interpretation of what you'll hear throughout the CD. The beat is great and Poe's desolate tone of voice really binds well. Trigger Happy Jack (Drive By A Go-Go) has brilliant lyrics. The verses flow nicely enough but then the chorus just comes crashing in, it's impossible not to like it. That Day starts off with talking/singing but eventually comes in with guitar feedback (maybe?) and the song starts getting really good. Angry Johnny reminds me of soap operas. Why? I have no idea. Honestly there's nothing that sets this song apart from anything else but Poe's voice just sounds terrific. Another World has a lounge type of beat and Poe's voice once again shines. Beautiful Girl serves as the highlight in terms of ballads. Performed acousticly through half of the song, you'd be correct in thinking that the vocals are what's put on display. And finally, Fly Away. Poe says it best herself on the opening lyric in which she says "It makes sense that it should happen this way." It takes a while to get here, but you find the best song offered in Fly Away. Both beautiful and catchy.

My favorite songs are Trigger Happy Jack (Drive By A Go-Go), That Day, Angry Johnny, Beautiful Girl, and Fly Away. As good as this may be, it really is just a stepping stone compared to Haunted. However, to newcomers, definitely start here. This is best listened to in the dead of night with all lights off where you're doing nothing but playing this in your CD player. It took me quite a few listens to really start enjoying what's offered but once you do I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself immensely. Hello is great but the best is yet to come I'm sure.

Every day is started out in my house listening to this c.d. Even my kids listen to it. My 19month old will start yelling nomalbeing when he wants to hear it and he loves hello because hea can sing along with the courus. My 5 year old daughter "wants to be a dophin" and ponders why she "can't talk to a psyco like a normal human being" Poe it's our morning cup of joe