Customer Reviews

Puzzles Like You (Dig)

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

 

 

This should be on many people's "best of" this year. It's illustrative of just how far Mr. Halstead has come from his teenage years with Slowdive and now with this complete album by one of the more important bands out there.

There's echoes of dream pop here but also early REM and psychedelia, all wrapped into quality songs that we now expect from this band and even more importantly from Neil. My favorites are Running with Your Eyes Closed and the elegant mid tempo Big Star Baby, but nothing weak top to bottom here.

Perhaps a bit less moody than earlier albums, more up tempo and rootsy, but I believe the best they've done.

I rarely write reviews, but I just have to say something about this fantastic album. I've been a Mojave 3 fan for about eight months now, having discovered Slowdive a few months before. I've become enamored with this band -- their music is so beautiful and soulful. I was a bit worried about this album, since I had read that it would be more fast-paced, less mellow than their past albums. But wow, after my first listen-through, it completely put me at ease, and I've been listening to it non-stop ever since.

Of course, it is a more up-tempo album than "Out of Tune", or "Excuses for Travellers". The first song, "Truck Driving Man" really gets things going, and you know you'll be in for an interesting ride. The album maintains a fairly even pace, with several more traditional Mojave 3 songs strewn throughout. It all flows very well. Neil's songwriting is as good as ever, and while Rachel doesn't headline any tracks, her backing vocals add that extra element that really makes Mojave 3 special.

IMO, the material on this album can easily stand toe-to-toe with anything the band has ever done. I haven't decided yet, but I think this just may be my favorite Mojave 3 album so far. It really feels like a natural progression of their music, and you're left with this desire to hear them play on and on. I really just can't believe how good it is -- so often, when bands try something new, they end up irritating their fans with the new direction, and putting out music that isn't really up to par with their previous material. Little wonder that the folks who transitioned from the psychadelic Slowdive to Mojave 3's rolling melodies could pull off this new endeavor so well, and deliver some of their best music ever.

I was a Slowdive fan before Mojave 3. It took some time for me to enjoy every Mojave 3 record after the release of "Ask Me Tomorrow." It took me quite a few listenings until I really connected with the music.

This record is no exception.

Let it play for a while and you will hear this really is a good record. Thats why I always buy a new Mojave 3 album when it comes out. I know that eventually I will really like it.

*sidenote* Track 12 is of utmost quality. It think track 12 should appeal to many of the Slowdive and "Ask Me Tomorrow" fans. Drop the 15 bucks and buy this record.

I know, I know everyone says that, but in this case, my friend, you might ought to contemplate the veracity of such an assertion. I don't want to throw out Beatles and the Mamas and the Papas references, etc. - namely because everyone is influenced by someone else. And so what? This album is as diverse at it is incredible. Check out the Mutineer, Breaking the Ice, and Just a Boy if you don't believe me. Seriously, check this release out and look 'em up on MySpace. And help me get them to tour the States. This is some of the best music out now.

with their fifth album, mojave 3, instead of resting on their laurels, have created a pretty remarkable (and in their case, progressive) album. fans of mojave 3 know that the neal halstead has a penchant for writing slow-as-molasses songs. the great thing about mojave 3 is that even though the songs were slow, they didn't come across as ballads--they were just slow songs. so listening to the the first track on the new album, 'truck driving man,' is a shock to the system. a few seconds in you're convinced it's a honkey-tonk stomper, complete with a jerry lee lewis-esque piano embellishments. don't let that scare you, however. it's still mojave through and through.

the first single, 'breaking the ice' is a similarly upbeat track, before you get the classic minor-chord bridge. it's a great song, but a surprising first single, at least in my opinion. 'big star baby,' 'ghostship waiting,' 'to hold your tiny toes,' and 'just a boy,' are big, driving, guitar tunes, that while not instantly memorable, are certainly worthy additions to the mojave 3 canon. neal halstead has yet to write a dud. it is, however, great to see the band branch out a bit and experiment with new sounds and speed things up a bit.

the real suprise comes from 'the mutineer,' the albums cleverly-titled closer, and only non-halstead track. maybe it's a nod the change in direction or the fact ian mccutheon takes over singing duties, but if it is, it's highly ironical because it's the album's 'slowest' track. most listeners will spot similarities between mccutheon's voice and sparklehorse frontman, mark linkous. it's a beautiful song and hopefully we'll get to hear more from mccutheon in the future.

rachel goswell's heavely pipes are still painfully lacking (as in we don't hear them enough) on this album. it's a sad trend dating back to the last album. maybe it's a voluntary move on her part. maybe she's content to let her bass do the talking, but i'd could certainly stand more rachel goswell, as i'm sure we all could.

all in all it's a really great album. old mojave fans certainly won't be disappointed. i'm sure if they can find a broader audience, they'll make plenty of new fans, too.

It's sometimes hard to think there are really anymore pleasing melodies out there, but thank Halstead & co. for proving me wrong. I am happily pleased with their latest, and very eagerly awaited, effort. Instead of the depths of melancholia and loveliness on, say, OUT OF TUNE, they give us 41+ minutes of what seems like basically "it's good, everything's going just way OK..." It's happy. Maybe I'll hear a lyric later that says something else, but for those for whom music is the priority, you can't go wrong with this considered and experienced and artful pop. Four and a half stars.

Not your typical Mojave 3 album. Those hoping for more explorations of their Slowdive-ish shoegazer roots will likely be put off this melding of lively 70's sun-drenched folk-pop with the more upbeat world of power pop. All the stops have been released, and what's presented is a sharply produced record that engagingly exceeds the a-bit-too-earnest shine of similar efforts by bands like Phoenix (circa '06). Instead an organic warmth bleeds through the rapid-fire drumbreaks of the title track and "Breaking The Ice," both have an unforced energy that rivals the best of the current crop of Swedish 70's copycats. There are still a few songs that take their time like "Most Days," forging a link between the old and the new. But the rest gives the impression that you've unexpectedly discovered a mid-period Teenage Fanclub album that you never knew existed.

They traded in their acuostic guitars for electric ones. That's not to say, howerver, that this is an electric album. On their past albms they would fill their songs with acoustic rhythm and punctuate them with well timed electric leads or wonderfully jaunty piano riffs. On this album they have (for the most part) replaced the acoustic rhythm with electric rhythm and somewhere along the way the songs got a little lost in the translation. Clean toned electric guitars against a backdrop of, you guessed, clean toned electric guitars, there's no room for the songs to breath, there's nowhere for them to go, there's no fight in them.

I am a die hard Mojave 3 fan, so for me to write such a critical review is a hard thing for me to do, but take this into account... it still got a 3.5 from me, now that's saying something.

I'm disappointed by this album. This is hard to write since I love Mojave's other CDs.
They established a high standard with their other albums and to me they don't match it on this one.
Some melodies are fine. Halstead is a master of tunes, just not full time anymore.
It's a bit too sweet( especially "you said it before"). Or too speedy, or I find the voice too processed.
Also too many cliches.
Everyone plays well, though. No problem with the new pedal steel guitar player, he's good.
But where's the intimacy and sincerity of Neil's solo album?
Where are the superb arrangments and incredible songs of "out of tune"? Or the nice harmonies and beautiful songs of "ask me..."?
On this CD, I like "most days" a lot, I'll be enjoying that one for a long time. Rachel is more present on this song which is good.
I like "big star baby" especially the melody and voice in the verses (he's one of my favorite singers).
I also like "breaking the ice" and "running with your eyes closed". "Mutineer"is allright too. "Truck driving man" is OK ( rocks).
I hate "to hold your tiny toes" (how can someone with such talent not realise it's garbage?), don't like "just a boy", don't care for "ghostship waiting" and find "kill the lights" irritating. That's 4 songs I don't care for!
For me their peak was "out of tune", one of my favorite albums, period, by the way also kind of uppidy, builing up and maturing from "Ask me tomorrow" which I love too.
"Excuses.." had TWO songs I don't listen to, the rest is top notch.
"Spoon and rafter" had THREE songs I listened to twice, and avoid , in the center (I find "hard to miss you" annoying). I like or love the rest.
In the same genre check "trembling blue sars", you may have a good surprise.