Similes

Eluvium | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 23, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Temporary Residence
• ASIN: B0031Y4AIU
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,605 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The long-awaited follow-up to the acclaimed Copia, Eluvium takes a courageous creative leap with Similes, an album featuring key elements previously uncharted by Eluvium: percussion, a verse-chorus song structure, and singing. For a celebrated experimental musician, it was just about the bravest and scariest direction to go. In this way, Similes is the most truly experimental Eluvium album yet, and the most accessible.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eluvium - Similes, February 26, 2010

By 

Andrew Vice (Plano, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Similes (Audio CD)

When I read that Matthew Cooper had decided to incorporate vocals and percussion into his signature ambient sound, I was more than a little worried. How was he going to pair his sweeping string arrangements with some kind of pop vocal aesthetic? Well the good news is that he didn't try. Though Cooper is definitely singing words and telling stories, his voice operates within the mix more than it does on top of it. Though it can't be considered just another instrument a la Loveless, his voice does bridge the gap between vocals and instrumentation, and fortunately, it really works for this new set of songs. I was pretty much sold on the record by the time the first track was all said and done. I think everything that is great about the record is summed up in those five minutes. Subtle but effective percussion, the deep, impassioned baritone of Cooper, and the musical style that we've all come to know and love from him. This is an excellent successor to 2007's luscious Copia, and it really is nice to see an ambient musician stepping outside of his comfort zone, and not only trying something new, but succeeding at it. This is a record that should not be missed by fans of Eluvium.

4.0 out of 5 stars Headphone Commute Review, February 8, 2011

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Headphone Commute - See all my reviews

This review is from: Similes (Audio CD)

Matthew Cooper has been on our playlist since his 2003 debut, Lambent Material, and remained a top artist among the modern classical composers with An Accidental Memory In The Case Of Death (2004), Talk Amongs The Trees (2005), Copia (2007) and his 7xLP box set, collecting all of the above plus a few more EPs, Life Through Bombardment (2009), all released by the beloved Temporary Residence Limited. On this long awaited return since Copia, Cooper introduces the Eluvium followers to something completely new: his voice. "Written, performed and recorded as always by Matthew Cooper in his own Watership Sounds studio, Similes marries Eluvium's trademark dream-like aura with Cooper's unique, laconic vocals, akin to an especially contemplative Ian Curtis with trace reflections of Magnetic Fields and Brian Eno." Not all the tracks include this song structure, and a few all instrumental pieces are sprinkled around the album. The execution reminds me a bit of a similar attempt by Keith Kenniff, who introduced the voice of Helios (and I suppose Goldmund) on Ayres (Type, 2007). The reception of such brave departure could be mixed. You either love it, or you don't... Let's hope the fans will follow through!

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing ambience, beautiful artwork., January 15, 2011

By 

T - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Similes (Audio CD)

I heard this album not too long ago through a friend and I had to get it for myself, it is calming and compelling at the same time. The vocals are unique and collaborate with the music to create a dreamy, ethereal atmosphere. This album is not of this world, I suggest going for a good walk outside when you listen to it. Thank you, Eluvium!