Customer Reviews

Revolution in Me

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As fate would have it, it took a motorcycle accident in Greece (never let drunken Italian women drive your bike...no matter how hot they are) to put me in front of this (newly solo) artist.

I was thoroughly bandaged and hopped up on painkillers and Bloody Mary's, roasting in the summertime Mykonos heat when I first connected with Siobhan Donaghy. This beautiful Irish Redhead with Racoon Eye makeup took over my tiny TV screen debuting her "Overrated" video and I immediately perked up and gave it my full focus (harder at that time to do than it sounds).

Her video, like her entire CD, has a decidedly "pop" anchor, but is wrapped in unique riffs and a peppering of Euro Electronica (likely the influence of producer Cameron McVey of Massive Attack). I really can't equate her sound (voice and music) to any other, which is probably a good thing. This is not to say that she's that "far off the beaten path", quite to the contrary, but you can definitely hear a new and success-bound style in the making.

For her age (I think she's roughly 20yrs old) she is remarkably mature in her delivery and sound (formerly with the Sugababes); that no-doubt comes from being a child star.

I love the entire album, but coincidentally favor the first four tracks. "Overrated Little Bits" stands out as my favorite, I could (and have) listened to that song over, and over, and over again...

...anyway, this import isn't cheap, but I would highly recommend adding her to your collection now. It's always fun to "get on the front of the wave" and create an intimate relationship with the artist before everyone else does; and trust me, the US will come to love this girl very soon.

Hope this helped.

I knew nothing of Siobhan Donaghy's former band Sugababes, so I first listened to this record with no baggage attached. What I could hear was a very promising young artist with an engaging voice and singing style whose songs carry more than a touch of the weird. She comes off as someone to take seriously.

While the backbone of this record is dance pop, some strange instrumental touches help make Revolution in Me stand out. "Nothing But Song"'s freeform acoustic guitars are almost jazz, with touches of record scratching, a garage-rock snare drum sound and Donaghy's loose, falsetto-heavy singing complicating the mix considerably. "Next Human (XY)" has a synth sound that could have been on Nelly Furtado's first album, and the best track on the record, "Suasex", features almost Gothic keyboard melodies juxtaposed with some of Donaghy's sweetest background vocals on the record. The disparate musical elements are almost reminiscent of Gemma Hayes, though not quite as dense or complex. Donaghy is a strong, mature vocalist who has a soulful voice; while she's not exactly Toni Braxton, she also doesn't overdo her vibrato like Christina Aguilera, nor does she resort to nasal tones to fake R&B singing like Britney Spears.

I came across this record entirely by chance and I'm glad I did. Although some of the songs meander structurally, Donaghy's engaging vocal performances and creative arrangements help make them palatable. Recommended for dance-pop fans who actually like to listen to the music for something more than a throbbing bass and a bare midriff.

This ex-Sugababe starlet is back to take a jab at a music career. Siobhan was part of the original line-up, until she split from the now-megastar group. However, Revolution In Me is confirmation that her split was due to difference in direction. As the Sugababes developed a more mainstream approach with radio-ready songs, Siobhan works with Massive Attack producer Cameron McVey to deliver sophisticated ( the jaunty "Nothing But Song" ), unconventional ( the elaborate "Man Without Friends") and urbane tracks. The two lead single are also pleasant, including the dreamy "Overrated" and "Twist Of Fate."
Revolution In Me merges admirably to form a complete piece. Whether it is the sing-along finale "Iodine" or the mysterious "Suasex," all the tunes complement each other. Even the weakest track on the album "Next Human (XY)" somehow fits the mixture when backing the swift "As You Like It."
Revolution In Me is definitely a dazzling debut from Siobhan Donaghy.

First of all I would like to say, this album is very underrated. It deserved to do better then it did,

The single 'Overrated' is best on the album, it hit #19 in the UK charts I believe. Deserved a lot better. It is catchy, and you will notice it on first listen.

Songs that appeal at first listen are 'Overrated', like I said before, 'Twist Of Fate', 'Nothing But Song' and 'Revolution In Me'. After a few more listens, 'Iodine', 'Little Bits' and 'Man Without Friends' will also become your favorits.

The good thing about this album is, that there are no actual weak tracks, and Shiobhan Donaghy's voice is able to do all the tracks just fine. She even makes the high notes.
The problem however is, that none of the tracks really make you think; wow, what track was that? That truly is a pity. This album would have sold a lot better if they would have paid more attention to making 2 really good tracks, to make the album gain some attention. But honestly, this album deserved to a lot better then it did. I believe it sold 5000 copies.

I hope she will get the attention she deserves when she releases her second album solo.

I heard 'Overrated' from a P2P sharing network, and I fell in love with the song. I then visited her website, where I was immediately impressed with the creativity of the anagram of her name: Shanghai Nobody, and the layout of the website, which adopted the concept of a magazine format. (Unfortunately the website doesn't exist anymore.)

Previewing tracks like 'Nothing But song', 'Twist of Fate' and 'As You Like It', I decided to go to Borders and preview the rest of the album, and I purchased it on that same day.

Anyway, here are my favorites:
Overrated
Dialect
Twist of Fate
Man Without Friends

Lyrically, I think Siobhan borrows a little too much from Shakespearean plays - it's apparent in the way the tenses are placed in some songs (ie. Dialect and X&Y). Not surprising considering she majored in Literature while she was in the university.

Musically, however, the album is a winner. Production is slick and the choice of instruments (as well as protools, I would assume) give the album an eclectic feel with an edge. I'm thinking 'Dialect' - that's edge. The guitar-bruised tracks of 'Overrated' and 'Twist of Fate' made them obvious singles, and are some of the stronger tracks on this album. 'Man Without Friends' is undoubtedly one of my favorites - I didn't like it at first but now I LOVE it - the guitar intro is extremely pleasant and easy on the ears.

If you haven't ventured into British indie music yet, start with this. It'll blow you away.

I'm a little disheartened by the fact that Siobhan was dropped from London Records (the same reason why her website was taken down as well), but (good for her) she managed to sign with Parlophone! So there's gonna be an album out this year, which I am definitely going to watch out for.

Siobhan's leaving of the Sugababes was one of her best career moves. Yes, the Sugababes have now enjoyed commercial success, after changin record label,and have been compared to bands such as All Saints(weren't they under London Records too?)But that was after Siobhan's departure.
Now she is back with one of the best albums of 2003. And she dosen't need number 1 hits to prove that she is a credible singer.
Revolution in Me is a humble record that reflects all the things Siobhan has gone through. Each song is crafted nicely to fit Siobhan's voice. And yes she is most probably not gonna make it in asian scene right now. But she dosen't mind. At least she has fans that'll buy her record.
And as for London Records not promotin her well, its such a complete shame. But they won't drop her i'm sure of it.
Take a few more listen to her album and u will see that it is like a hidden gem waitin to be discovered.
Personal Fav. tracks are, Nothing But Song, Iodine, Suasex,Little Bits and As u Like it.

19 year-old Siobhan Donaghy who was the one-third kept on by London Records after they dropped the band Sugababes, releases her debut album, still with London, and with original Sugababes collaborator Cameron McVey (Neneh Cherry/Massive Attack/All Saints).

"Revolution in Me" is an exceptional record, a diverse set containing 12 truly refreshing and inspiring songs. The initial surprise is the strong and individual voice that Donaghy possesses, which is complimented by the rich and varied production skills from McVey. It seems nowadays a genuine individual singing voice is hard to come by, and Donaghy has proved her self in many UK live shows this year, that she can sing.

Personal highlights include; 'Little Bits', 'As You Like It' and 'Dialect'. Songs such as "Nothing But Song" and "Overrated" grab the listener immediately but it is some of the more subtle tracks that eventually become infections and force repeated listenings.

With the Sugababes now content with making homogenous sounds that will help capitalise on what was originally something quite unique, we can rest assured that it will be Donaghy to look up to for inspiration in the pop world.

and hopefully folks will find this one and give it the listens that it deserves. You truly feel as though a revolution is happening after listening to "Revolution In Me" by Ms. Donaghy. She shows no sign of letting up with this debut that has several key tracks that you should not miss for anything. They are:

Overrated
Little Hits
As You Like It
Suasex
Faces
Dialect

really the whole cd is listen to worthy and a repeat after that. Very enjoyable and a delight to listen to. Revolution In Me is just the beginning for a talented singer/writer on her way up in the music scene...once again.

Wow, this album is pretty terrific. The experimental sounds are a treat, as well as Donaghy's lusciously bitter vocals. The subject matter of the songs are varied and very interesting, and the lyrics - though not thoroughly artful - display great promise. Some of the songs are pretty darn odd and challenging to the listener, but this is what art is all about and Donaghy succeeds with brilliance. This album is simply great, and that is precisely why no-one is buying it.

This album has unfortunately suffered because of rubbish promotion from London Records and a lot of people are missing out on one of the UK's most talented and diverse artists in years!

Yes she might be the 'former Sugababes member' but embedded in Siobhan's album is an incredible eclectic mix of indie, pop, rock and light r'n'b influences.

Imagine Massive Attack meets Tori Amos and you have Revolution In Me, 12 songs of pure excellence.
It's hard to name standouts on this album, because near enough every song is just brilliant, if I had to choose though, the guitar driven 'Man Without Friends', 'Iodine' (which comes complete with interesting lyrics about politics '...there is no left wing, to fight the right wing...') and the singles 'Over Rated' and 'Twist of Fate' along with 'Next Human (XY)', 'Suasex' are all standouts and the overall main standout for me is 'Dialect'.

If you appreciate good music then buy 'Revolution In Me' NOW. :)