Seven Minutes to Midnight

Rondo Brothers | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 19, 2007)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: War Chant
• ASIN: B000P7V4H6
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #428,813 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Best 99 cents I ever spent., March 29, 2008

By 

Zyrakris (USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Seven Minutes to Midnight (Audio CD)

For such an inexpensive CD with such an odd, ugly, tacky cover I really wasn't expecting to buy anything more than the track "Crazed" which brought me to it in the first place (Thanks Pandora.com), but I found a lot more. The band really reminds me a lot of Gorillaz in that there's a lot of strange, offbeat hip-hop tunes that people that aren't into hip-hop can get into, and if you like Gorillaz at all this is DEFINITELY something worth checking out. Lets go track-by-track, since there are no other reviews:

1, 2. Intro / Crazed - My favorite two tracks to this CD, Crazed is not very hip-hop but I loved it for the lyrics and story it tells of a woman who killed the man she loves and lives to regret it. It's sung by a female singer and has some powerful moments, yet keeps a consistent beat and mood that doesn't get too deep as to make you want to change the track.

3. Dunestalker - The hip-hop comes out here more, but is very light and has a nice melodic female background vocals that ease you slowly into the overall feel of the CD. Good song, not the shining moment, and not much to say here otherwise.

4. El Corazon - A purely instrumental track that has the same feel as Dunestalker but is a little more `electronic'.

5. Liberation - Heavier hip-hop. I'm not into hip-hop/rap, and this is kind of good/listenable unless you're not in the mood to put up with the heavier beat, some cursing, etc. I skipped this one the first time as soon as it started chanting "Get naked" and "Go dumb", and I skipped the track every time after that because I really loved "Hard Rocks the Roof".

6. Hard Rocks the Roof - This is a really cool, jazzy, piano-based duet between a male and female vocalist. Definitely worth listening if you like or can handle light R&B. It's very catchy and has gotten stuck in my head a number of times.

7. I Fell In Love - This is where the Gorrilaz comparison comes in a little, because there's a creepy voice track playing at the start and some random piano playing in the beginning, but it smoothes out with a female vocalist singing the single chorus. The voice over interjects once mid-song, kind of taking you out of the comfort, but it's still.. okay.

8. Still Your Ghost - Starts with another odd voice track, but shifts quickly into a very catchy beat that is also quickly accompanied by the female vocalist who comes in with some lyrics to match. I loved this song because it speeds up with the chorus and the lyrics have an aggressive/vengeful tone to it that really gets you moving.

9. Sing Into the Machine - Starts with another odd voice track and follows with a beat beneath it, continuing to repeat it for a good 30 seconds into the track. Features a male vocalist, female background chorus, some heavy piano as a bass, some continued voice tracks that are odd. Not the high point of the CD.

10. Houston - Another track featuring the female vocalist with some focus on the piano instrumentally. The instrumentals are very simple and not hard to follow with. I think most of the song's significance lies in the story told by the lyrics, but unfortunately there are no Rondo Brother's lyrics available aside from Crazed. Not a bad song, not great.

11. New York Kid - This song has a little heavier hip-hop beat without the heavier hip-hop elements in the singing. It's low-key and easy to listen to, aside from the male/female repetition of "Give it to me" that comes out in different places of the song, but wasn't enough to put me off of the song. Definitely something that's been stuck in my head a few times.

12. Hooked On Hookers - Slow, laid back, and almost sleepy without some lyrics available to provide more meaning to the song. Like other tracks, it has jazz elements, including rhythm of the drums, the guitar, and the female vocalist. I don't really skip this track, but I don't go out of my way to listen to it.

13. Until We All Fall Down - Again, easy to listen to hip-hop beat with some light, upbeat vocals from the male singer. Seems to be a positive track, and again, it's nothing I go out of my way to listen to, but nothing I instantly skip.

14. La La La - A lot like the Liberation track, with heavy hip-hop beat with firm hip-hop vocals from the same singer, and a chorus that's a lot easier to listen to. Not liking hip hop/rap much, I usually skip it, unless I'm doing something, then it's not nearly as hard to listen to as Liberation.

15. In the Valley - Has a very 60s tone instrumentally with this with a medium hip-hop male vocals and female background singing. I don't care for this song because I'm not much into either, and I don't think the two mix. Like the last track, it's not easy to listen to, but at this point I've gotten most of my $1's worth out of the CD. I skip this track about half the time.

16. Come Down To Me - I love this song. It starts out a little odd, but picks up and gets pretty fast for most of the remainder. It's pretty lighthearted, poppy and has a very `pink clouds and sunshine' feel to it without getting too sugary to stand. The female vocals are soft and easy to listen to, and the speed of the track held my attention throughout. One of my favorite tracks on the CD.

17. Apologists - Starts with a voice track talking about an atomic bomb, ending with a question for the listener. Has a simple beat leading to the end of the CD. Not much to say here, more like something to think about.

3.5/5