Customer Reviews

Too Late to Die Young

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

 

 

While this CD may not be as poppily accessible as their previous noninstrumental cds, this cd is nevertheless filled with "pop" moments and as with all Departure Lounge cds hightlights the tightness and ability of the band to incorporate different styles and distill these styles into departure lounge songs. Seeing departure lounge live is an incredibly moving musical experience, and their recorded efforts show how musically dexterous, tight and versatile this band is. It may take a few listens, but it is worth it. Of course, many of the songs do have instant appeal creating the "pop" in the moments, but the value of Departure Lounge cds generally, and this one as well is their appeal after the passion of the first few listens wears off. You still love them in the morning.

This is the second album from Londoners Departure Lounge and along with it's debut this was one has received very positive reviews from the British music press. Having left their native London to relocate to Nashville I have expected this c.d. to sound like the sort of thing Lambchop, etc used to produce. Instead there's barely a hint of any Alt. Country sound.

The album starts off very positively. "Straight Line To The Kerb" sounds like some sort of classic Belle And Sebastian or Delgado's track. It builds up very smoothly before the acoustic guitars and gentle shimmering keyboards serve as a backdrop to almost whispered vocals. You get the added touch of some really nice trumpet and at this stage I thought I was on to a winner with this c.d. Well the first few tracks really are very good indeed but the whole c.d. deteriorates into some at times almost unlistenable dirge later on. The first hints of some of their unusual arrangements comes half way through the first single and excellent track "King Kong Frown". The cause of this seems to be some wayward sounding brass section. I mean the first sax. Interjection is excellent but we soon get this excruciating sounds of the sax later on. This sound reappears later on during the oddball sounds of track 7 "Be Good To Yourself". Some people may find this sound has some sense of orginality but to me it's that harsh sound much like someone dragging their nails down a blackboard! It gets even worse on the 9th track, which starts off excellently with a cool sort of blues vibe and rhythm, before we get that harsh sound again. On the previous track Tim Keegan is joined on vocals by Lisa O'Neill. Now what starts off as an excellent atmospheric track is ruined by her weak vocals. She tries to sound like Lisa Germano and in my opinion fails miserably. It's a bit like the last real Belle And Sebastian album when Stuart Murdoch should have just been selfish and done all the vocals himself. The sad thing is that each of these tracks has the potential to be excellent but unfortunately something small comes in to disturb your enjoyment.

It's a pretty mixed album and I seem to be just highlighting only the bad aspects. There are quite a few great moments on this c.d. They certainly show a huge variety in the instruments used-lots of brass(which is mostly good), organs, various guitar sounds and sometimes instead of using conventional drums they use handclaps really effectively. Some of the early tracks are as good as anything that was on say the first Doves c.d.. The pity is that I feel the bones of these tracks are really good and then someone, somewhere decided to over-elaborate the arrangements. Maybe if someone remixes this c.d. I'll find it far more appealing!

i wouldn't have purchased it if i had listened to it a little further before turning in my cash. first song (straight line to the kerb) is good, second song (what you have is good) is okay. i couldn't care less for the rest of the songs.

disappointment.

but thats more than enough. I love departure lounge I wonder what they have been up to.

Not much to say, really. "Out of There" is a fantastic album, and if you are looking for something from Departure Lounge and have nothing, get that one for sure. But this one has no good songs, no progession, nothing of interest. What I think happened was the following: Kid Loco and Departure Lounge teamed up for some mutual assistance. Departure Lounge got the bum end of the stick, while Kid Loco made out like a bandit. Instead of buying "Too Late to Die Young", you should get Kid Loco's "Kill Your Darlings" - it's a killer, and I wish Departure Lounge would have got as much out of KL as KL got out of DL. Buy "Kill Your Darlings", don't buy "Too Late to Die Young." But make sure you buy both "Out of There" (DL) and "Kill Your Darlings (KL).

Only about half this album is of interest, with a lot of filler. The songwriting shows promise, but the ideas aren't well-developed, and several of the songs are allowed to go on and on, far past the point where they were interesting.

While this CD may not be as poppily accessible as their previous noninstrumental cds, this cd nevertheless hightlights the tightness and ability of the band to incorporate different styles and distell these styles into departure lounge songs. Seeing departure lounge live is an incredibly moving music experience, and their recorded efforts show how musically versitle this band is. It may take a few listens, but it is worth it.

While this CD may not be as poppily accessible as their previous noninstrumental cds, this cd nevertheless hightlights the tightness and ability of the band to incorporate different styles and distell these styles into departure lounge songs. Seeing departure lounge live is an incredibly moving music experience, and their recorded efforts show how musically versitle this band is. It may take a few listens, but it is worth it.