Customer Reviews

Open Ground

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

 

 

I have to admit to knowing little to nothing about Kyle Fischer and it took me many listens to actually remember his name, but there is something here that goes quite deep and is keeping this CD on my player way past its time of expiry. It must be the honesty in the songwriting and the flawless and quite deluxe recording mix. Man, these songs sound fresh and immediate. The first five songs, "Headphones" thru "Just One More Day" really pack a wallop with Mr. Fischer and fellow Rainer Maria-er Caithlin de Marrais trading vocal duties. Speaking of "Just One More Day", this is some potent stuff, Ms. de Marrais claiming that she would buy anything, say anything, just to have one more day with her ex. I think we have all been thru this private hell and this delicate song really resonates. True love is indeed hard to find. It's incredible, this powerful yet oddly static music.

good album, worth listening to, grows on you a little bit. but a bit dissappointing for me. i bought this having enjoyed rainer maria (fischer's other project) but find it hard to refrain from comparing this solo album to mike kinsella's solo album: Owen. (mike kinsella is the drummer on fischer's album.) owen was a fluid progression, a well organized 'mega song.' fischers album is a mix of songs, some delicate and beautiful ("should your way need finding back," "headphones") and some heavy and head-nod-worthy ("noon day song"). all in all i enjoy the album, but find it inferior in its listenableness(?) to kinsellas Owen. perhaps i bought this for the wrong reason. dont make my mistake. but it if you really dig rainer maria/kyle fischer.

The song 'one more day' was actually originally done by otis redding-- this unlikely choice on an album by an emo rock guy works surprisingly well.
Everyone keeps referring to this album as delicate and fragile, but what I've never seen anyone say is that he doesn't actually have that good a voice. It cracks and wavers and all manner of finding its way around a note. The production leaves his voice out there, naked, for you to hear all of the flaws, including a way that he sort of clicks his tongue or the sound of him opening his mouth that grates after a few listens. The songs that work the best are the ones that have his bandmate from rainer maria singin on.
Having heaped all this criticism on this album, I will say that the guitar playing is lovely, and almost makes up for his voice.