Customer Reviews

Mirador

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

 

 

I will be brief, I bought this cd quite by chance , I had read a review somewhere, and when I put it on, I was blown away, I think Paula Frazer's voice reminds me of some vision on 1950's radio playing in a dusty southwestern town, where the landscape is dry and you have to keep out of the sun. Her voice lilts and glides over hazy, turbulent guitar. From the cool artwork to the sexy sound, This band deserves high praise those of us who grew up in the southwest will love this, and those who wish to go there for 1 hour try this disc. Lovely.

In the company of Calexico, Nicco Case and her Boyfriends and Johnny Cash on a three day cocaine binge there is the shimmery-heat oasis of Tarnation. As cool as a mescal margarita and as quick to go to your head.

Paula Fraser does it again ... this album is a bit less dreamy than Gentle Creatures (a FABULOUS album), but this album has a bit more punch to it! Paula sings beautifully, flawlessly, and the guitar work is genius ... i usually listen to this album for days at a time.

Tarnation - Mirador (4ad)
Tarnation have made a soundtrack for a western that will never be made, which is a shame, because judging it just by the music, it would have been a great movie - though maybe a little slow.

"Mirador" distils the songs and atmospheres from the previous album "Gentle Creatures" to produce an incredibly heady brew. Reminiscent at times to the Cowboy Junkies or The Walkabouts at their most gothic (small "g"), Tarnation has the voice of Paula Frazer to elevate them into another division. Indeed, her voice is absolute perfection and shines like a bright star in this slightly more upbeat collection. Let "Mirador" into your house and your life will be a little better.

In 1995 a little quartet called Tarnation recorded a remarkable album of alt country called Gentle Creatures for 4AD, and promptly disbanded from the strain of the recording session. Paula Frazer, whose dreamy voice with its southern twang was the basis of the Tarnation sound, pressed on with a new lineup: Alex Oropeza on guitar, Bill Cuevas on bass and lap steel guitar, and Joe Byrnes on drums.

The new lineup brought a somewhat different sound than the first album. It's still mainly "Southern Gothic", but there are new references to Western. Indeed, with the opener "An Awful Shade of Blue" one might recall Morricone's spaghetti western scores, and "Wait" has zestier rhythms than the band had shown to date.

MIRADOR is overall much less memorable than GENTLE CREATURES. It peaks early with "A Place Where I Know", "Is She Lonesome Now" and "Your Thoughts and Mine", which is the equal of any of their previous triumphs. But most of the remainder is disappointing. Still, does surprise with "Little Black Egg", a cover of The Nightcrawlers' 1965 pop tune. There's also an untitled track at the end of the album, a new version of "The Well" from GENTLE CREATURES with a slower tempo and alternate lyrics. After some seconds of silence, the album fades out with a bizarre accordion tune.

If you really enjoyed GENTLE CREATURES, then I can recommend MIRADOR as a decent followup, but Tarnation neophytes are encouraged to seek out that debut.

I heard "There's someone" 2 years ago on a CD-sampler. I soon found it at the local library and then taped it. I've been listening to it regularly since then and I eventually bought it used yesterday. I Think this is a very good collection of songs for those who like me appreciate the slow pace and atmosphere of calexico and mazzy star.

Total y maravillosamente forzado este Mirador, una vuelta de tuerca a Gentle Creature, mostrándonos la otra cara de la moneda, siempre en ese tono sergio leone + johnny cash + patsy cline, etc. Un sentimiento más arriesgado, interpretaciones magníficas y la voz de Paula Fraser, totalmente epica. Estamos esperando ansiosos el siguiente trabajo...

Sure, it's 4 years ago already, but I just found this in my stack of seldom-listened to CD's and checked it out again.... This is one of those albums where you, the listener have to struggle to make the songs transcend their recorded "sound". Ridiculously awash in reverb, this album seems to have been produced and mixed with a very superficial understanding of the sound-style of the classic music from where it draws inspiration. Perhaps I'm being too harsh... On a positive note, Alex Oropeza's guitar work is outstanding, and many of the songs leave a lingering impression, which I re-mix in my memory to make sound better.