Customer Reviews

Painted Pictures

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Like the previous reviewer, initially I thought this album was not quite as good as the wonderful "Eventide", but after a number of listens I find this is the one I usually pop into the CD player. Now I consider it a superior work to their previous release. No music expert here, but these guys know how to write music! The musical tapestry of just about every song is exquisitely rich; especially on "the Lost Coast" and the best track on the disk (the hidden track), "End of the Day". Buy it, you won't regret it!

So you've packed your picnic lunch and your sunscreen and you are now searching for the perfect CD to bring along with you on your trip to the beach. Look no further than "Painted Pictures" by the Philadelphia area band Grey Eye Glances. "Each time I returned to the ocean I close my eyes, I listen, I float like a bird across the sky" - the opening song "FLOAT" evokes visions of summer days spent lying in the sun on the sand, listening to the ocean. However, looking deeper into many of the lyrics, you will get a sense of journeying. "I traveled far to a place so distant the seasons never changed at all." ("FAR") We hear of time spent in France and of driving along the California coastline, not to mention the emotional journeys that these songs will take you through. Perhaps the sentiments in the final song echo how we all feel at times: "God help me when I get this way when all the calm within is inside out and all I feel is numb...I want you to stay because you want to, I want you to stay because you need to, I want you to stay and not have to ask you".

If you are a fan of Dar Williams, Patty Griffin, Sarah McLachlan, or Natalie Merchant, then you will not go wrong with this cd!!!

Grey Eye Glance's second major release is a welcome addition to my cd collection. GEG's songs feature great lyrics and fantastic music. Nine of the eleven songs are excellent and could easily be released as singles. Of the remaining two songs, "Remember This" is growing on me with each listen, and "Certain Misunderstandings" is okay, but far from required listening. I was surprised and excited to find the last track "Close of the Day", as this is a song I've been hoping to get on record since I saw them play it live shortly after it was written. All in all, GEG is one of the best bands playing music today, and their cd's are the only ones I will give as gifts to people regardless of the person's musical taste, as it is practically impossible not to like their music. I thought Eventide would get them the critical recognition they deserved, but hopefully Painted Pictures will do the trick. My one minor quibble with Painted Pictures is that it only lasts around forty-five minutes, and I would like to see a few more songs on the cd, perhaps a reworked "Feathers in the Air", their cover of "Both Sides Now", or the song featuring Brett on banjo which they started playing last year (I think it was called "Falling Away for the Last Time").

The singer can sing well and the songs flow well. My favorite track is the one that's not listed at the end of the CD; let track 10 play through and wait a bit, and you will hear "The Close of the Day," which is a powerful and compelling song. But the whole album is good, and I look forward to driving somewhere if I know this CD is in the player.

From the rocking "Better Part of Me", to the ballad "The Lost Coast", to the hook-y "Kind of Love", to the witty "Sleepy", Grey Eye Glances once again excells at creating quality songs. Showcasing the incredible voice of Jennifer Nobel the songs take you on a journey through a number of scenes, not necessarily connected, but an enjoyable trek, none the less. Wrapped around this are the Brian-Wilson-remeniscent harmonies, and excellent playing of Dwayne Keith and Eric O'Dell. Completing the package perfectly are talent of Brett Kull and Paul Ramsey. Yes, it is "pop music", but it is *not* bubblegum. Both the lyrics and the music show a depth and understanding of how to create emotion and image through sound and word. Definitely a group that richly deserves success.

"Eventide" is a great album, and while this one is not at that level, it is still very good. I can't say I was disappointed at all. GEG is a wonderful band.

I consider this to be Grey Eye Glances' best album and I like every one of them. They have the rare gift of making music that you can have on in the background while doing something else but that always rewards repeated close listening. I'd compare their sound to Amelia, the best October Project songs and Cowboy Junkies. Anyone who enjoys those artists will love Grey Eye Glances, a group that deserves far greater popularity.

Excellent, thoughtful lyrics, fantastic lead vocals; this CD will definitely set the mood for a quiet evening of solitary introspection or tea with close friends.

Here's another band that's really been making good music but has been ignored by the mainstream because its not formulatic enough. If you saw the trailer for the movie "A Walk on the Moon" you were probably drawn in by a dreamy, ethereal song called "Better Part of Me." The good news is that people are starting to recognize the talent of this band and their song is starting to get airplay. The better news is that this single wasn't a fluke, and that the entire album is full of these catchy, mellow, dreamlike songs. The band has a style similar to October Project or The Innocence Mission, and will attract those thirtysomethings who grew up listening to alternative music but are a little sick of the drivel being passed off today as music.

I actually am kind of haunted by some of the songs on this album, like "The Lost Coast" which reminds me of some of my past relationships. And the other songs are great mellow autumn songs, the perfect music to bring along to apple orchards and to frolic in fallen leaves with. Don't forget...there's a secret song at the end of the album (not as original as it used to be, huh?) that's as good as anything else on the album.

Lead singer Jennifer Nobel has a wonderful voice, and her bandmates really combine together to create some beautiful harmonies. Some of my favorite bands are masters of this style of meshing the harmonies of a male and female singer and it can really produce some beautiful music that makes you want to fly with the birds. I'm thinking of the song "Float" here I guess. Keyboardist Dwayne Keith supplies backing vocals and the lyrics, and is responsible for the dream-like state that this music will put you into.

This band is also great in concert, and is a lot of fun! They actually aren't as overly dramatic as their songs may have you believe and they do a great medley of show tunes and TV theme songs that will have you rolling and singing along. Catch them if they visit your town.

Grey Eye Glances took their name from an Edgar Allan Poe poem, and in a way, that's exactly what their style reminds me of. I guess I am a little biased because this is one of the best bands to come out of Philadelphia in years, but they are really a great band.

I've been hearing this group for three years now, and I never get tired of them. I own every album they have ever put out, and am eagerly awaiting new ones. This cd differs very much in style from their earlier stuff, but is just as good. The last half of the cd incredible, and the first part seems to grow on me. I listen to this constantly! This is a must buy!