Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Trent Reznor and Pet Shop Boys had a baby named TempoShark (and Rob Diament), March 29, 2008
If a musical scientist merged Pet Shop Boys and Trent Reznor they might just create the UK band known as TempoShark and it's lovely lead signer (and writer or co-writer on most songs) Rob Diament. From the opening, lush string arrangements on the first track, "Don't Mess With Me" you know you are in store for an amazing song, as well as an amazing album filled with so many emotions and characters. "Don't Mess with Me" deals with an egotisical rock star struggeling to get to the top and get a record deal. Early on he does, and he gets diluted in all the fame and attention. He believes nothing can harm him and no one will take it away. He eventually thinks he is a king of sorts. He is idolized so much, and he screws those that idolize him then throws them away, because "something tells me you can't further my career"
"Joy" is the next track, it's a track that would fit on a Mika or Scissor Sisters CD...it meshes the style of both of those artists. Its got one of the catchiest hooks and chorus, it makes you want to get up to dance and sing along "so impressive, so beautiful....Joy, joy, joy...." And a song that can compare gazing up at the stars to an orgasm is just pure genius on the writer's part. And that's in the first verse!
"Blame" is such a beautifully and expertly layered song, musically. There are so many layers of strings, keyboards, electric guitar and bass, and real drums. It adds even more to the wonderful dramatic tone in Rob Diament's vocals. A song about money: getting in the way of emotions of a relationship. Those in the relationship thought money would make it better, but it really was the love and simple things that made it work. And the wanting to go back to those ways, while at the same time having the money makes things easier in life, just not the relationship.
"Its Better to Have Loved", asks the question that has plagued man for years "is it better to have loved than not love at all?". Looking back at your life and wishing you could have done things more differently. To show people you loved and cared for them, even if it seems they didn't, and wanting to push that "rewind button" of life and change things.
"Not That Big" is a screw-you-kiss-off to the people that wrong you. They put you down and didn't think anything of you. Later on you may get fame and fortune, or recognition, and soon those people come back around. They want back in your life, but you haven't forgotten and you don't want them in your life anymore. And telling those people I can be a jerk just as much as you were, but I'm better than that, so I will just tell you to stay out of my life and walk away.
"Knock Me Out" is a funky little song about being knocked out by someone walking by, or in the case of the song, while driving a car. And then falling in love with that person, love at first sight...or is it lust at first sight? As the song progresses the singer professes his love, and that it truly was love at first sight and not just lust.
"Crime" is almost an industrial song...industrial if done by Depeche Mode.
It's about the possible thrill of committing a crime. Stealing money and gold.
And even possibly being bought by the hour, and renting a room with chains. Midway into the song it gets dark. Talking about a relationship being bought and only about bondage and pain to show the love for each other.
"Battleship" deals with a relationship on the brink of ending. But the singer wanting to try and work it out. Trying to figure how to make it work and fix the problems. The person he fell in love with has changed, and isn't quite how I imagined". But still wanting to give it his all and swallow his pride. With Rob's performance you feel the pain, sorrow and pleading in his voice.
"Little White Lies" starts off kind of gliding along, and then gets really aggressive during the chorus. Then comes back to verse 2 and glides along. Rob performs the verses almost singsong, kind of tongue in check. Then the chorus kicks in and turns to hard rock. Throughout the song it deals with what every one does, tells a little white lie, and realizing soon, maybe not right away, but sometime down the road; they may come back to haunt you. At first you think, "little white lie, never hurts anyone" until it turns into another and another.
"Invisible Ink" helps bring the album almost to a close, and starts to slow things down while still bringing the all-important message "don't leave the world without changing something". It also says make sure you make people think every now and again about your actions and what you do. It can be something small. But for a rock star, your fans hold onto your every word, but will they remember you in ten years? Will it all matter? The singer hopes his music does, and wishes for everyone in the world to do something to help change the world for the better.
"Winter's Coming" ends the album perfectly. Almost like a little lullaby for the baby of Trent Reznor and Pet Shop Boys. It's a song about change. Coming to a point in your life, where for the better of it all, you decide to go ahead and make a change. As scary as it is, you need to change every now and again, and it will work out and make your life better. It's almost like the coming of winter, the change of a season, the time for a new haircut. It's so beautifully crafted and sung so soft it will almost put you to sleep. But stick around for a bonus track. It's a reprise of sorts. It is a hypnotic little instrumental for about ninety seconds, then comes in the haunting whispering voices, that reprise the words of `Invisible Ink"' telling you to make sure you "don't leave the world without making them think, don't leave the world without changing something"
On I-Tunes, there are two additional bonus tracks,
"Neon Question Mark", though very catchy is a little out of place with the rest of the album. This track is almost a bit happier than the rest of the album. It evokes a mid to late 80's feel to it.
There is a second bonus track, supposedly. It's called "Snow" and is said to be an instrumental. When I went to download recently I could not find it, yet I could when the band initially announced the sound being there.
I will close by saying, if you can see this band live, do it! They are amazing live and are very entertaining. You can tell they love performing for an audience. I had the privilege of seeing them on the first US tour. When they were a support act for Darren Hayes's US promo tour for his album "The Delicate Thing We've Made". I had the privilege to buy TempoShark's CD then, and have had it the CD for a good 6 months if not almost a year. When I first bough it, it was in my car's CD player for three to four weeks. It's such an amazing album. The vocals and music are so emotional. I give it 9 out of 10.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't Miss This Album!!!!!, March 27, 2008
I'm a huge fan of Temposhark and this new album is absolutely terrific! It has many of my favorites, like Joy and Blame, plus several new songs that have the same great layered musicality and thoughtful lyrics. Seriously though, I can't get enough of Joy! It's the perfect song to get you going in the morning, or to pep you up before going out to a party. I could listen to it all day long (and sometimes do!)! Another song I love is It's Better to Have Loved--it's moody and brilliant! Great job on the new album, Temposhark! When's the next one coming out?!?!?!
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