Looks Like I'm Tall

Henning Ohlenbusch | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 1, 2006)
• Original Release Date: February 1, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rub Wrongways Records
• ASIN: B000E1ZJ6U
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #453,212 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Looks Like I Love It, February 2, 2006

By 

Cat Marigold (Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Looks Like I'm Tall (Audio CD)

Wow wow wow. It just keeps getting better. I discovered the band School for the Dead through my love of Fountains of Wayne. Now, the mastermind behind School for the Dead, Henning Ohlenbusch, has gone and made an album all on his own. And it is beautiful.

If you love the well-thought out melodic and moving sounds of people like The Shins, Paul Simon, Harry Nilsson, Sufjan Stevens, Sam Phillips, Aimee Mann, or Elliot Smith, I can't see how you wouldn't embrace this record.

There isn't a filler track on this album, from the upbeat and quirky "But We Did" to the smooth and moving "Held His Gaze" to the atmospheric "Center of Time" to the heartbreaking swell of interlacing melodies in "It's Now".

This is an album in the true sense of the word. It's not a collection of singles, it's a well-thought-out presentation of wonderfully written music. We need more of these.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Long and Winding Review, February 8, 2006

By 

The Closet Romantic (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Looks Like I'm Tall (Audio CD)

Henning Ohlenbusch, the singer of School For the Dead, took risks with this ambitious solo album that proved to be quite rewarding. By pulling a "McCartney" (i.e. recording and playing all the instruments himself) and abandoning the archetypal guitar, bass and drums configuration, Henning produced a personal, adventurous, melodic album with a stunning assortment of instruments and harmony. Many of the arrangements are centered on a nylon string guitar, while tasteful electric guitar hooks and an array of keyboards and synthesizers (ala Jon Brion) contribute to the sparse sound. Closely recorded vocals, coupled with this open mix, create the intimate sensation that we're in the same room as the singer.

Now many reviews we read are clouded with musical references to boast the writer's knowledge and perhaps offering a glimpse into their expansive record collection. As a result, the review morphs into a tired list of other artists (often obscure), while learning nothing new by ignoring the album in hand...So, I'd ask to please excuse the following, enormously hypocritical sentence: the drum machine and happy keyboard arrangement of "Machine to Break Your Heart" suggests an influence to vintage They Might Be Giants, the sleigh bells/harmonies combination toward the end of "Held His Gaze" may produce similar shivers as Brian Wilson's haunting "'Til I Die" yields and one may also discover residue of Robyn Hitchcock, Aimee Mann or Harry Nilsson throughout.

This album isn't trendy and certainly doesn't belong in the same bin as the garage, haircut oriented groups of today nor the innocuous alt folk music that just won't seem to die. There are no gimmicks here; rather, we have a selection of intelligent, well-crafted songs with subtle observational, sometimes melancholy and often, witty lyrics. From the fast tempo, electric piano/shaker driven pop opener, to the reflective title track, to the wispy, longing sentiment of "Carnival", "Looks Like I'm Tall", like many great records, offers a variety of musical styles that ultimately form a cohesive whole (it's magic how these things come together, huh?) . In addition, it's an interesting headphone listen and I'm sure many of these songs will appear on mix tapes to come.