Customer Reviews

Snapshots

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Why isn't this woman more famous? The songs on this CD are so incredible. They move your body and your soul. Is this woman reading my letters and looking at my life and writing about me? Because that's what it feels like "All I Have" is a master piece."Now You Tell Me" is exhillerating, "Wrapping me up in luxury" is THE BEST SONG I'VE EVER HEARD ABOUT SEX! and "Sophie" has to be the saddest song I've ever heard. If you don't have this album, you're really missing out. I play it more than any other CD in my collectoion.(Including her first two albums, which are also really good) Try and catch her live sometime. I've seen her twice, and both times she was wonderfull (and completely different each time.) She sings, is a really good electric and accoustic guitarist, a keyboard player and used to play violin in the Symphony Orchestra here in Ireland!

I got this album not long after it came out, having heard Eleanor's first two albums. Whereas her self-titled first album from 1993 was largely led by the acoustic guitar and her follow-up "What's Following Me?" from 1996 was dominated by electric guitars, Snapshots is heavily synthesizer-influenced. This is largely due to the production work of Rupert Hine, known for his work with The Fixx in the 1980s. The ample use of keyboards is a somewhat awkward fit at times with Eleanor's vocal style, but there are several shining tracks on this album that make it worthwhile. "All I Have" is something of an answer to "Only A Woman's Heart", delving into the somewhat melancholy feelings of a woman prepared to face the world alone. "Please Heart, You're Killing Me" is a lively track with a playfully endearing saxophone riff. "Wrapping Me Up In Luxury" is a sensual, romantic song that has a very gentle but passionate air to it. The last track on the album, "Easy To Lose Hope", is ostensibly a song about a journalist who was murdered, but it comes across as an anthem of hope and courage.

....Eleanor released a FOURTH ALBUM on 4 May 2001 called "Yola". It is apparently only available through small online retailers in Ireland. Pick it up if you can find it, because it marks the return of a mellower Eleanor. Gone are the commercial trappings of Columbia Records and Rupert Hine. In their place, Eleanor's sound is more pensive and piano-driven. You absolutely cannot miss the addictive track, "Easy In Love". Get this CD!!

Eleanor earned the best songwriter description even with only this album which has some of her most thoughtful material. "Sophie", "She had it all", the dramatic "Did you tell him" are examples of her best work. A superb album.

I love this album, every song on it. It's very heartfelt. If that sounds familiar, it's what I said about her previous album. It took a few listens, but it has won me over. I have to say, I get a bit weepy on the song 'Please Heart, You're Killing Me'. It's such a sweet song, and so full of what we have all felt, and it's funny too. So, I ordered 'Yola' today. I look forward to it's arrival.

Eleanor McEvoy is the rare vocalist that seems to be equally appealing to men and women. Her voice is rich and beautiful, feminine and strong. I can't seem to get enough of her voice. It grabs you on the inside. Her voice is matched by her great songwriting. Intelligent words sung to flowing melodies and lush instrumentation. While some have wanted Eleanor to repeat the moods she created on her first two releases, I applaud her for moving forward and exploring new dimensions of her incredible talents. "She Had It All" and "Territory Of Poets" are perfect examples of her extraordinary style, and "Please Heart You're Killing Me" should be a hit song right now.

It's surprising how disappointing this third effort by Eleanor McEvoy is. Her first two albums (the eponymous debut and What's Following me) set her up as a singer and songwriter of first-rate talent, on whose albums melancholy ballads could cohabitate happily with exuberant upbeat tunes. (On her first album, for example, the lightheated "Finding Myself Lost Again" leads directly into the minor classic "Only A Woman's Heart"; and her second houses both the weighty ballad "Whisper a Prayer to the Moon" and the flirtatiously sexy "Biochemistry.") In contrast, this third album seems to have developed during a bad year. Instead of the full range of emotion McEvoy's capable of, the songs are almost all sad, and the end result feels as washed and faded as the colors on the disc's back cover. This is not to say the album's not good at all. McEvoy's voice remains a treasure, rich and textured and much more expressive than your standard folk waif. The music is more sophisticated than her first two efforts (listen to the vocal counterpoint on "All I Have" or the Latin beat on "Please Heart, You're Killing Me"). But, and this is the problem, emotionally the album only strikes one note, and that note grows weary after ten tracks. Unfortunately, the depression that settles over the album affects one of McEvoy's traditional strengths-- her usually original lyrics weigh down in TV movie cliche by the end. Growth, change, and experimentation are always welcome with a talented artist, but sometimes the new avenue turns out to be a dead end. This album is a prime example.

I could listen to, "More to This Woman" and "Please Heart, You're Killing Me" all day long! I love this artist! I love this album! The lyrics are catchy, but really poetic and moving at the same time. Some are fun and funny, and some, like "Sophie," really just break your heart. The rock/pop style with a variety of instruments that keep this from being straight pop, really catch the ear and keep you listening long enough to pick up the lyrics

Heartbreak and anguish always make for the best songwriting and McEvoy has captured those emotions in this startling release. I was really disappointed in the guitar-heavy, brash sound of her previous release, "What's Following Me". On "Snapshots" Eleanor delivers well-crafted songs that are crisp and evocative. Rupert Hine's outstanding production has brought out the best in her voice and the arrangements are kept simple and dramatic. Lots of contrast and (finally!) a less is more approach that doesn't drown her voice in guitars. Well-crafted lyrics (that you can actually make out) deliver her passionate heart-wrenching sentiments. "Did You Tell Him", "To One Who Didn't Know You" and "Now You Tell Me" are emotional enough to put a lump in my throat."She Had It All" and "Sophie" take us to the world of the alcoholic and anorexic.

Her sound evokes thoughts of Sarah McLachlan, Sinead Lohan, Everything But The Girl. This is a great release and I have been listening to it constantly!

The Public Broadcasting station in Pgh., WYEP, got me interested in Eleanor Mcevoy, with her "What's Foloowing Me?" release. I enjoyed "A Glass Unkissed" and "Precious Little" from hearing them on the radio, and bought the cd. There I heard the magnificent "The Fire Overhead." Always looking for Irish talent, I began following Eleanor's career and eagerly awaited her new release. Luckily my mom and sister were going to Ireland in April, and they brought me a copy of "Snapshots." After several listens, it became clear that there is no reason on earth why this woman is not more famous. "There's More to this Woman," and "Did You Tell Him" are wonderful opening songs, rich in lyrics, melody and arrangement. I love "Territory of Poets" for its terrific 80's sound. The best song on the cd, for me, is "To One Who Doesn't Know You." The simple piano, snare and harpsichord(?) arrangement, and sweet, haunting melody impress me more every time I hear it. When is she touring? Do yourself a favor and listen to Eleanor McEvoy.

I always preferred Eleanor's first self-titled CD to her second, but this has become my new favorite. Intelligent lyrics and a magnificent voice. If you like Sarah McLachlan or Sinead Lohan, you should do yourself a real favor and buy this CD. Did You Tell Him has been released as a single in Ireland and Europe, and Please Heart, You're Killing Me as a single in the USA. I would say that both are standout tracks, but there is not a weak song on the CD, so it's hard to choose favorites.