Customer Reviews

Madra

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

 

 

This record is -very- different from, say, -Fairytales of Slavery-. But then, if you have bought many Miranda Sex Garden records, you're probably used to one being very different from the next.

What you are getting here, basically, is straight Elizabethan madrigals, minimally re-arranged for three female voices. This record wouldn't be for early-music purists, but it would probably be more at home among the classical records than as a rock record.

It is a lovely, if quiet, and high class performance. Katharine Blake, Jocelyn West, and Kelly McCusker sing beautifully. This album would probably appeal to fans of Ms. Blake's -Mediæval Bæbes- project.

Okay...admittedly, the madrigal form isn't like anything else out there; but if you enjoy a capella female voices, and the idea of Shakespearean songs peaks your interest, this is THE cd for you! Miranda Sex Garden's singers have voices that are best described as ethereal and haunting. Their music is soothing and deeply evocative; it's the kind of music that makes you want to light every candle in the house and shed the stress of the day. The songs may not be headed for the top 40 anytime soon, but they were definitely in the top 40 of the 1500's...give it a try if you like, for example, the 90's cd of "Chant" monastic music.

First off, the volume on this album has to be turned up several notches in order to hear much. Then, the mood doesn't really change. The inflections change, but there isn't a range of emotions. Maybe this is due to too much of a soprano emphasis and lower keys never come bellowing through--the small traces of them just dangle in the background.

I understand that the madrigal nature of Madra is not intended to be the same Miranda Sex Garden as seen in later releases like Susperia, Carnival of Souls, or Fairytales of Slavery. But after hearing these delightful albums, Madra is too much of a letdown. For fans of MSG who are considering buying this album, I suggest you listen to samples and decide if it's for you.

It does get points for the concept (I admire any artist who visits medieval culture), the beauty in the voices themselves, and the composition. It takes a lot of organization and proper synchronization to accomplish this effect.

I wanted to like this cd more than I did, as I like Miranda Sex Garden and enjoy period music. However, because of the form (the madrigal) and the singing/production, I find I seldom listen to it.

If you are REALLY CERTAIN that you want a full cd of madrigals, this could be your best ticket. However, I hadn't listened to 25 madrigals in a row before, and I found it to be a form that got on my nerves more quickly than expected. Additionally, while the women of Miranda Sex Garden are an intriguing and underrated goth band, their voices can't really sustain an entire cd of a capella singing. Or - perhaps the madrigal form doesn't give the singers the opportuinity to shine. Either way, I find the result ultimately unsatisfying.

I admire the band and the concept, and find it quite enjoyable in short spurts. I can't recommend the cd, though.

Since 1991 I've had this CD, I love it. Its lullaby songs are timeless, they fill the room with beautifully entwined voices. Poetry.

The performances and material here might actually be quite good, but poor production, recording, and mixing choices make it difficult to tell. Every track on the disc sounds essentially the same, without even comprehensible lyrics to distinguish them. I recommend starting with their later work.

i got this after getting jocelyn n david's "lux vivens" and heard she had other music.i dig this;don't listen to it regularly,but i like it!really lush female vocals which are professionally executed.wish some songs were longer.