Customer Reviews

Strangers

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ed Harcourt usually shows potential, but often only has a few good songs coupled with several filler tracks which are cheesy.

When I had heard Movies of Myself by Rufus Wainwright, I thought that all of his songs would sound more like Ed Harcourt's "Strangers" album. I was disappointed with the light-hearted lounge-style singing of Wainwright, but Harcourt fills in that flavor much more effectively.

In fact, somewhere between Damien Rice's "O" album and Wainwright's "Want One" is where "Strangers" resides. I think Damien Rice's music is more soulful, though.

It's a good listen overall. However, I'd recommend buying it used because it's nothing that amazing. My rating is 3.5.

Ed Harcourt is one of the most talented guys from England. He is a brilliant songwriter. He has put three albums in the past three years. Apparently he has written 500 songs, so he has a lot. He blends melody with ideas and thought. It is truly more amazing every time. Strangers is his recent album. It sounds incredible. "The Storm Is Coming" employs some hard rock sounds that Harcourt is not necessarily known for. "Born in The 70s" is more like glam rock. The song "Strangers" recalls some of his previous works, but Harcourt doesn't really repeat himself. The song itself has a weird arrangement. This must have been the result of working with a new producer in Sweden. "Let Love Not Weigh Me Down" has a rich sound and has a heart of experience behind it. On songs like "Something To Live For" and "The Trapdoor" you sense that Harcourt has a wealth of solid musical ideas. He hasn't gone dry. Harcourt has created his most diverse and well-rounded album. There hasn't been too many of these really good albums recently.
This is nearly great.

This is Ed's best album yet! I am a huge Ed fan and I never would have thought it possible for him to even come close to topping his previous work....but WOW! This album has a couple of his trademark love songs, but also a good variety of other songs I never would have expected. It's very different than From Every Sphere and Maplewood and the numerous singles. Even if you don't like his other albums (in that case, what's wrong with you??), you will like this one for sure. This album is AWESOME! Thanks Ed, without this album, my life would be incomplete.

I bought this CD off several reviews in various music trades. I usually don't do that cause more often than that there's 1 or 2 good songs and thats it. This CD is brilliant. Ed has a gift for melody. His lyrics are pretty straight and/or tell good stories too. He touches on many styles while still retaining identity. His voice bends around lots of areas to fit all this variety. Everyone I play this CD for wants it. Virtually everybody. This Cd is making me buy all his others too....and I'll let ya know. Buy this one. Very very good.

"Strangers" is my introduction to Ed Harcourt's music. He writes interesting melodies and lyrics that leave room for interpretation. Probably the best track is "Born in the 70s" with its Jules Shear-style shotgun lyric & a driving piano, "Just like the record's stuck always repeating the past that never liked you before, you had no reason to last." The most different track on the disc is the acoustic Nick Drake-like dreamy "The Trapdoor" with the enigmatic moody lyric, "Looked death in the eyes, falling stalactites then burnt by a light as angels flew by who pulled me back up to the moonlit sky covered in dust, it was hard not to cry." "Loneliness" has nice energy with Ellekari Larsson's high wispy background vocals. "Strangers" is a good disc whose tracks are consistently strong. The only track I fail to click with is "This One's for You" with its inebriated rhythm, sounding like it was written by one who would need a taxi to get home. Some will probably like it for just that reason. Enjoy!

This CD didn't get much critical or popular attention. It should have. It is fantastic. It is Ed's best - certainly more poppy than his other productions, but genius. This is a fantastic CD.

In a lifetime, there may come a few moments when something close to ground-breaking happens, close to spectacular, close to heaven. In the music world, a few albums have been made that can measure up to these moments. Rarely, do albums of music by a favorite artist come anywhere near stellar enough to be revered, to be studied, to be moving. In fact, the usual fare is to hear an amazing song on the radio or through other means and go buy the album, only to get it home and disappointingly try to pretend that the puchase was worth it. I find myself doing this more often and turning back to classic albums I've
burned out by repetition to avoid the disappointment of trying out new music and finding out it sucks. So, normally I expect my musical hopes to be dashed against the craggy rocks of mediocrity like every other album I spend hard earned dollars on. More than a year ago, a friend of mine handed me a burned cd of assorted tunes, one of which was called "God Protect Your Soul" by a man named Ed Harcourt. I was blown away immediately by the soulful, breathy cool singing, and ironical lyrical stylings of the artist. I was immediately impressed and
well-satiated by the beauty and listenability of the song. I shared the song with others; they were equally impressed. I wanted to hear more but unfortunately I didn't have any money. For some time, I lived on the crumbs of listening/watching to Ed's video "Watching the Sun Come Up" on launch.yahoo and the few videos he had on his website. Just tonight, I was able to pick up his new album "Strangers" with a few dollars earned from my own sweat, and blood. Some primitive,
aurally blind soul had returned Ed Harcourt's "Strangers" allowing me to pick up the album for 8.99. It would have been worth 89.99! Musically, the album shows the proficiency of Ed's craft and acumen. Emotionally, the album is unparalleled. Cathartically, I think, Ed channels his demons, his aspirations, his loves, his loss, and his dreams into masterpiece collection of eclectic styles articulated with unparalleled symphonic/sonic arranegement. Merriam Webster defines the word "nonplus" as follows : to cause to be
at a loss as to what to say, think, or do. I was nonplussed over and over as these beautiful emotive tapestries
of sound sonorously played out in my dark listening room. I sat aghast as I pondered how it is exactly Ed is able to play the clavinet, the guitar, the piano, the organ, sing, write his genuine unique style of lyrics, all the while capturing the audience with no hint of disingenuousness. If you are musician, if you've ever been in love, if you've ever felt alone, if you've ever hoped for a better future, if you've ever run out of reasons to live, if you've ever sung a hymnal, you
will find a place to connect with this album. The production is
superb, the effects are judicious and breathtaking. Those of you
thirsty for original music that you can still connect with, not just esoteric obscure crap need to pick up Strangers. With music this good still being made, perhaps we can all rest a little easier. Nice work, Ed.

if someone else had made this album, perhaps i'd have given it 5 stars. however, knowing what ed's capable of from his previous two albums and other releases, this just seems to fall short. the production on songs like "the storm is coming", "born in the 70s" and especially "loneliness" is a bit too much. these songs sound too conventional and radio-friendly compared to some of the eerie tunes on "from every sphere", for example. there are some moments where ed tries to recapture this feeling, like on "an open book", but it doesn't wind up as poignant as tunes like "fireflies take flight" and "from every sphere". all this being said, it's a good album, and if you've already got "here be monsters" and "from every sphere", it's worth buying just to have some more ed harcourt in your library. but if you're just getting into ed harcourt, please start with the earlier works.

Let me start out by saying that I am a fan and so I am biased. And with good cause, let me add. This album is another step forward from this young English song-writer. The album is different from previous efforts, however. Although I am not sure, I believe that he was in a long term relationship that ended and a lot of the songs here reflect that. If you wanted a comparison I'd say this album is similar to Ryan Adams' Love is Hell. But comparisons are personal and usually wrong.

The album was recorded by Ed and only 2 or 3 others and that's relfected in some of the albums darker songs where the lone instrument echoes the loss of a loved one. The slower songs are intimate and personal and have a threatening undercurrant which you almost expect to be unleashed, and in some cases is. The more uptempo songs are up to his usual standard and although are lyrically a bit down the music is uplifting and bright.

I loved it the moment I heard it and it's very rarely out of my CD player. If you like Ryan Adams, Jeff Buckley etc then you have to get this album.

three albums in and ed harcourt hasn't quite found his footing. it's not that he hasn't written some memorable tracks, because he certainly has. rather he's yet to write a memorable album. 'strangers,' however, is ed's best work to date and the closest he's come to penning a truly memorable album. it's a positive step forward from his last album 'from every sphere.'

'storm is coming' is a raucous opener and a signpost that this ed harcourt album is different from past efforts. is it a hint of things to come? maybe. it's swirling guitars and hammering paino lend a nice climactic tone to the song. 'born in the 70's' is one of ed's poppier numbers, in a good way. it's funny outro gives a nice little middle finger to anyone who finds reason to hate on the hippy decade. the album's other stand out track, 'loneliness' is another nice little pop nugget. loneliness isn't normally something to scream about, but it's nice to hear ed belt it out.

like ed's other albums, the listener gets the feeling he's just about either a) run out of ideas, or b) on the verge of clawing through to the surface of musical greatness. it's simply (as if it were indeed simple) a matter of honing on the good stuff and getting rid of the not-so-good stuff. there's a great album (and probably more than one) in ed's head, and given the rate at which he releases albums, we could only be a year or two away. let's hope so because ed's one heckuva talent.