Customer Reviews

That's Your Fire

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Albums like That's Your Fire are why I'm constantly listening to new music... always seeking music that will sound new, and shake me to the core, and become the soundtrack for my life for a while... that moment when something just hits you so hard you're frozen in time and space, hearing the music not just with your ears, but with you heart, your soul, and your hopes and dreams.

Aloha sounds like nothing else. They're not following an easy formula. They've created their own sound that can't be easily labeled. Is it jazz? Is it art rock? Is it indie rock? Is it pop? Who knows and who cares. All I know is that this music is stunningly good, and I needed this last year. And maybe you need this right now.

It is a refreshing cd. If you reach a point where you tire of your cds and everything on the radio, get Aloha's new CD. The sound is like a really good indie rock band with an excellent singer, jazz influence, and the warmth of a good vibes player. The only other music I can compare it to would be The Sea and Cake; and even then, only their first 2 cds. Like these cds, the music is clearly pop, but it is so interesting and new, that it seems more jazzy. I have nothing profound to say about the musical style and techniques. It's just really good music that many people would turn up their noses at because they can't get past the unusual sounding pop nature of the cd. But if you are open minded, just a little bit, you'll find the good in this cd and keep it in your cd player for a long time. There's enough same-sounding music available to let Aloha pass you buy. My advice is to purchase this cd immediately because otherwise, you'll forget about Aloha because they wont be reveiwed a lot because they are on a small label, thus you'll forget about this perfect little band that will be influencing pop to come.

I do not just hand out 5 star reviews. This album did so much for me on my first listen. Tony Cavallario has such a unique voice. Maybe he's not Frank Sinatra, but this guy has this certain essance to his voice that captivates the listener and whisks them into a warm place beyond ones aesthetic comprehension. Eric Koltnow also renders unexplainable beauty with resonant vibraphone parts that bring such a unique edge to the over all sound of this ensemble. The drumming is jazzy, intricate and quite aggressive when it is appropriate. Well composed, well performed and a MUST HAVE for anyone who is a fan of avant-garde-jazz-rock fusion.

This is a great album...one of the ones that you put it on and lose all track of time. The songs are complex and hook into my brain like no other new bands out there. I hope they come out with another album soon, although that just means more stuff to get stuck in my head in the middle of the day out of nowhere.

I've had the chance to see these guys live and they are really something else. Like the album, there are no real breaks between songs. The music just goes and goes. If you have the chance, don't miss it. If you don't have the chance, well, at least you can still buy the record.

From the very first note to the last I was hooked by this record. Very relaxing but at the same time you can feel an urgency of something powerful ( or painful ) that wants to break the surface and smack you in the face. I have such a great respect for artist that include uncommon insturments into their line up and I think Aloha has done a fine job with that. I think anyone that buys this record will be more than happy with what they recieve.

Most of the time I like to pick up random cds of bands I have always heard of but never actually listened to their music. I bought their ep and was mighty impressed and once I got the LP, man I just fell in love. I think that they are amazing, the cd is relaxing. Most of my friends do not like the bands I listen to but once I play Aloha for them they immediately fall in love. Hundred Stories has to be my favorite song. "Ten thousand clouds to clear skies and no one is sking why" has to be my absolute favorite line in the entire cd.

I love Aloha, they never fail to make a record that isnt absolutely wonderful.

it certainly doesn't always work. (First, a disclaimer- I am not reviewing this album according to the de facto Amazon.com scale, by which anything less than a full five stars implies that the album is seriously flawed and unworthy of purchase.) The promo blurb above (billed as the artists' commentary) does a fine job communicating what this band wants to be, and eventually may be, but it's definitely a starry-eyed take on what actually shows up on the album. Put briefly, to my ear Aloha are attempting to pull off a tremendously difficult synthesis- shrouding more emotionally direct pop songcraft in somewhat irresolute "free jazz" atmospherics. Not surprisingly, the results are mixed. The bulk of the album, rather than straddling the chasm, as the blurb suggests, and perhaps creating an impressionistic "post-pop," is instead comprised of a rather uneven jumble of pop melodies and jazz idioms. While most successful "prog" rock seems to carve it's own musical niche, Aloha's music still seems somewhat molten- certain elements coalesce from time to time, but they seem to be floating aimlessly in a largely inchoate slurry. If that's the point, it's not communicating much of anything to me. The more structured songs seem more to my taste, and it's certainly possible that by reining in their more adventurous side, they'll manage to strike a balance in future compositions. My advice for the prospective buyer, however, would be to search out an mp3 or two (available at the Polyvinyl web site) and listen critically before committing hard-earned income. This music is certainly challenging and interesting, but remains quite rough around the edges, in my opinion.

i bought this albulm, and i was EXTREEEEEEEEMLY disapointed. it sounds like a million other cds i have heard. they may be good musicians.. but they are terribly unoriginal songwriters.