Customer Reviews

Standing at the Edge

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Like others who reviewed this album, I discovered it through a listening station at a bookstore. I listened on a whim, and man am I glad I did! From the arresting opening track "For Reasons Unexplained" I was hooked. I listened to a few more tracks, and decided the CD had to be mine. I used my money to buy this CD instead of a few others by more established artists that I wanted. I don't regret it.

I'll admit, my first few listens I felt that perhaps it was a bit samey. Somehow, though, I couldn't stop listening and as I listened the identity of the songs began to be drawn in sharp relief.

First though, let's comment on his voice. He has quite a range. Thankfully, it's also very pleasing. I don't often like male voices that can go into the stratosphere often because they become shart and displeasing at times (ala Justin Timberlake or moments in Daniel Beddingfield's "You're Not The One") but Stratton has a definite command of his voice, and when he goes into the higher notes they are always smooth and beautiful. He's got a great tone to his voice that definitely stands out from the choked falsetto of some male singers.

Then there are the song's themselves. If you were to just read the lyrics, they probably wouldn't blow you away with either their poetry or their intricateness. They are a bit more straightforward then that... but I appreciate that in many ways. They are more sincere, with enough artistic and poetic touches to make them interesting. The delivery and the music drive them home and make it all a pleasing package.

It's hard to pick highlights, as they all stand out for different reasons. However, I'd highly recommend the soaring "House of Jupiter," the extremely catchy "Blood" (perhaps my favorite track) to the lovely and gentle "Dead Sea" and "Ocean" and the absolutely heart-breaking "Cellophane" that hit me for personal reasons.

There's a lot of emotional depth here, and a lot that a person can connect to, which is what I like to do with music. I'm a college student, and having just got my aid check and with a local music store going out of business, I've purchased about 30 CD's within the last month. This is probably my favorite.

It's energizing artistically. It has me really wanting to pick up my guitar again.

Do yourself a favor and give him a listen... download his song from I-Tunes so you can get more then just the 30 second clip. I don't think he'll be for everyone, but I do think there are many people out there who would be proud to ad "Standing at the Edge" to their CD collection.

Casey Stratton's CD jumped out of the Barnes & Nobles listening station for me as it has for many of the reviewers here on Amazon. I didn't write down his name or the CD title; I just remembered the haunting strains of "For Reasons Unexplained" and "House of Jupiter." I finally had to search an entire mega-music store to recognize the cover. I'm glad I found it again!

For me, there are three jewels in the set. The opening track "For Reasons Unexplained" opens with Casey's arresting piano and his incredible voice on the title track, "If I had been more confident of myself maybe less afraid of everything ... if you had been more honest with me, I might have made it." The track with Abe Laboriel's drums builds subtly to a great dramatic climax. "House of Jupiter" has Casey cruising gracefully in his upper register on the chorus, "It wasn't me then who took you to the edge and watched you fall." Paul Bushnell's bass thumps assuredly giving a backbeat to the make the mix unforgettable. "Blood" is also an exquisite track with Casey's piano seeming to be inspired by Henry Mancini & Peter Gunn with the throbbing rock beat supplied by Brian MacLeod, "And you remind me of my sanity doctor, teleport me out of your design, this is fear -- welcome to my little flood." It is an unforgettable track that ends with some energetic Lamaze-type breathing. Of the other tracks, "Contagious" is a haunting slow melody while "Cellophane" has some interesting electroica flourishes with Casey's delightful vocal. As you listen to Stratton's music, the surface is usually either bright or lush; but when you delve into the lyric, there is a darker undercurrent that feeds the creative tension. This is an impressive beginning that makes Stratton an artist to watch in this decade of zeros. Enjoy!

I have an annoying habit (to me anyway) of discovering and loving a group or singer just before they retire or break up. I remember discovering Savage Garden's "Affirmation" album, then finding out within weeks that this wonderful group was gone for good (incidentaly, the new Darren Hayes doesn't hold a candle to the old one). As a classically trained composer/singer/pianist, I tend to like quite a bit of substance in the music I listen to. I rarely find it.
I was walking through Barnes and Noble last night and happened to check out some random CDs I found on the wall. One of them was Casey's. I listened to the sample tracks, and became entranced by the high quality of musicianship all around. The vocal qualities aren't the only Savage Garden similarities I found. His lyrics reach beyond the usual "get with me baby" that I find so annoying. He writes about life, not just "love". Casey's talents as a pianist shine in a world of three chord wonders. They are fresh, adventurous, and fully guided by the passion each song conveys. This is pop music for the refined listener, yet never so cerebral that the casual listener couldn't sing along and love it. Casey's classical influences (Debussy, Ravel, Barber, and Copland) meld easily with folk, pop, and rock idioms. In short, this is a recording with something for everyone.
Finally, for those who have declared that this man's voice is like that of a woman, I have this advice: for someone who puts every bit of everything he is in his music, I can't imagine that Casey has altered his vocal production in any way that isn't natural for him. He is truly using every part of himself to express his innermost self. He sounds like Casey. No more, no less. I am thankful to find someone so vocally, compositionally, and poetically honest about himself.

I bought this album at a Trade CD's and DVD's store for only 4.99. I thought it would be fair to buy it at that cost considering that I might not like it at all. Had I spent 13.99 or 21.99 on it, it would have been totally worth every cent. Why? Well, in one word that can sum it all up: Unique. Casey Stratton is not your average singer and his style is actually refreshing and emotionally charged. Each song sounds different from the others, yet they are all linked by his high octave reaching voice. A co-worker thought this was a woman when I played it for her and she immensly surprised to discover that the she she thought it was was actually a he. Not that that really makes a difference... it is his vocal range that contributes to the overall appeal his album has over me. I love every lost song and to try to single any out for their purfection would be pointless, considering each is perfect. I am greatly impressed with this new talent and I am glad that someone actually produced him and his music so he could offer a refreshing alternate to ever dying pop scene. "Standing At the Edge" is a real treat and hopefully his next album will continue this beatiful trend of music.

I purchased this album on a whim and boy, is it the best fouteen dollars I've spent in quite sometime. The music is like a great cup coffee should be, rich full-bodied and satisfying. The lyrics are vulnerable and naked, a refreshing and welcome change to the mass-produced pop sound of the latest blonde in a tube top. Mr. Stratton lets it all hang out here and invites the listener on a journey exploring all that it is to be human. His voice seduces the listener into a musical orgasm of sorts, leaving the listener breathless and wanting more. Here's hoping the record company continues to let him do his "thang" and surely, his future in the industry will be long just as his fans will be many.

This is quite possibly one of the best CDs I've ever heard. Heard it in B&N one night, and had the songs stuck in my head all week, which finally caused me to go back to the store to buy it.

I haven't taken it out of my cd player since I brought it home, and I doubt you'll be able to either. If you like Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos, and the like? You'll adore Casey Stratton. His voice is haunting and so beautiful... Just give this CD a listen, and I can guarantee you'll like it.

Picked up Casey's CD after listening to it at Barnes and Nobles in Utah (sorry Amazon). Casey is a true talent: bold lyrics and haunting piano melodies, plus a pure and hearfelt voice. Casey has been billed as the "male Tori Amos." While there are some similarities in some of his chord structures, Casey's music is a little less experimental and often even more listenable. Try listening to "Blood" just one time...you'll be hitting the replay button all day and night. The album is very well produced (Patrick Leonard) and features lush strings, guitar and percussion. The great thing is that there is not one "throw away" track on the entire album. A really fine debut that deserves a big audience.

A hauntingly beautiful album. I "discovered" Casey through a link on Darren Hayes' site. After hearing some samples I decided that I needed this CD. A few hours later I picked up a copy at Barnes & Noble (couldn't wait to have it shipped from Amazon). And I love this CD, in fact it has been on repeat in my car for the last three days. I just can't get over how deep yet catchy every single song is. Another thing that surprised me is that I like every single song, which is very rare for me. If you like gorgeous music with poetic lyrics sung by a talented guy, pick this up now.

Well, let's get this much out of the way immediately: while I believe in considering every singer-songwriter on his or her own terms, the Sarah and Tori comparisons are indeed inevitable. Casey's general approach to songwriting and his voice are Sarah-esque; his classically-influenced piano stylings and many of his vocal harmonies scream Tori. The bad news is that this debut isn't exactly the earth-shattering debut that Tori's was. The good news is that it's easily better than Sarah's was, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he were to arrive at her level of acclaim once he gets a few more albums under his belt.

Make no mistake: _Standing at the Edge_ is very, very pretty, and that's never something to be taken lightly. The main problems I have with it are that it's too laid-back and too self-similar. While pretty much any of the tracks here could fit in just fine on adult contemporary radio, only a few strike me as more likely to grab your ear than whatever they decided to play on either side.

Some have suggested that this album is overproduced. That's one criticism with which I don't necessarily agree. In fact, three of my favorite tracks -- "House of Jupiter," "Blood," and "Cellophane" -- are all given some extra edginess by the use of nifty electronic effects that probably weren't in the original demos. What might be even better, if it's not heresy to suggest, would to bring in an electric guitar once in a while, and let it show some bite. (With the incisors at least, if perhaps not the canines.) Going back to the Sarah analogy: if you can't yet pull off a "Fear" -- and most artists can't -- you can still manage a "Plenty," which was plenty good because it knew how to augment the tension in the lyrics with the tension in the instrumentation.

But then, of course, there's Casey's "Bloom," which uses nothing but strings and a deceptively simple lyrical theme -- "I don't want to bloom/breathe/be/sleep/laugh/die/love without you" -- to arrive at one of the most haunting, heartbreaking, gorgeous things I've heard in quite some time. So it's not as though minimalism doesn't work for this indisputably talented man.

I guess I just hope to see him have a little more fun. While a good half of this album strikes me as better pretty background music than something with which to seriously engage oneself, the seeds have clearly been planted. Definitely someone to watch.

I first heard Casey's music a year and half before I was able to get my hands on an album. A YEAR AND A HALF before I was able to hear his voice (and incredible lyrics) again. But, miracle of all miracles, when I came out of this period of withdrawal I was also able to hear him play live. I've heard many incredible performances (from Willie Nelson to the Buzzcocks) and never have I been more impressed. His music is at once intimate and unbelievable, close to home and out of this world.
I can honestly say that I know Standing at the Edge forward and backwards (and admit to singing along to it loudly and often off key)and am still just as impressed as the first time I heard it, perhaps more. He is a true artist and craftsman and his album is some of the most original and meaningful music I've heard in a long time.
Pick up this album, I promise you won't regret it and I know I can't forget it!