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Editorial Reviews
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is one of these amazing albums which you discover over a couple of hearings and which grows on you to a point that you could never get bored of it. The tunes are all finely composed, with subtle complexity, allowing all instruments enough space to be heard and enjoyed. It has to be mentioned here that the album has the crispest, most delightful sound (the vintage (Leedy) drumkit, with that distinctive Gretsch Broadcaster snare sound, the perfect bass and guitar sound), due not only to the instruments themselves but also to some great sound engineering work. Being a long time Karate fan, and having listened to them since their first album, I must say that I am delighted to hear Karate evolve in such a way and that I strongly recommend giving this CD your full attention; and if you like it, work your way back to "The Bed Is In The Ocean", "In Place of Real Insight", and their first album "Karate".
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
If you've seen Karate live, especially in post 2000 shows, you'll have noticed that there seems to be a lot of improvization happening, even occasionally drifting into avant-garde. On several occasions, I have confronted them with this point after shows, and have found that all of these "improv" sections are actually all planned out, like a Rush concert.
I would assume the same for "Unsolved" on which almost every song has some sort of jazzy guitar solo by Geoff Farina. But bear in mind that this is not a new direction for Karate, it has simply been exploited far more on this album.
Generally, the songs are slower, some of them swing, there are a couple of true rockers ("Sever" is as impressive on album as it is live) but all in all less yelling and a more conversational tone to the lyrics. Confusingly, there are also some delay/feedback Thurston Moorish soundcapes in many of these songs, which are often coupled with some fancy drum work. And speaking of fancy drum work, check out the tension/release coda of the album, the 15 minute "This Day Next Year" which next to "Diazapam" from The Bed Is In The Ocean is one of my favorite Karate songs.
One last thing: The sounds on this album are all crisper than crisp, which goes against the scratchy indie-rock aesthetic. Another rumor I heard was that G. Farina, unsatisfied with his guitar sound both live and in studio, took some time off from recording and touring to study the mechanics and electronics of amplifiers, so that he could better fine-tune his sound. The result: Unsolved is perhaps the best mixed album I have ever heard, though some might hear it and claim it adds to this albums supposed wimpyness. Well, this album has its dull moments, but all and all it is an enthralling album.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
i recently saw them in san francisco just like one of the other reviewers, and i thought it was astonishing. i know a lot of people got mad cause they didnt move around or anything, i mean it couldn't be because they were trying to concentrate or anything like that! the great thing about this album is that all the instruments standout at the same time. farina(the lead singer)has calmed down after the last couple of albums and often times speaks his lyrics in a soft and heartfelt way that make you wish you could get into a conversation with him right then and there.and his guitar playing has even matures after the bed is in the ocean. the drummer just flat out rocks. his punctuality is a lot of the reason why these guys are so tight. the bass speaks just as well as the guitar does and sometimes takes over as the guitar holds it together and the bassist go off on his own little excursion. well, if you have a problem with a band not rocking out, i dont know what to tell you. it is jazzy, but let me be the one to tell you this is the best jazz i've heard. i think this is the only path they could of taken. you got to evolve. sometimes that cant always be a good thing but in this case ,karate is the exception. love this!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
After-hours engagement
3 1/2
Karate sound like a slightly more progressive Athlete or a mellower Pavement. They play more informed jazzy-rock then your typical indie guitar getup, occasional... Read more
Karate sound like a slightly more progressive Athlete or a mellower Pavement. They play more informed jazzy-rock then your typical indie guitar getup, occasional... Read more
Published on November 1, 2008 by IRate
An unarmed assualt on the world of music...
This could well turn out to be one of my favourite albums of all time. There's simply not one weak track on the whole album. The three of them seem to gel perfectly together. Read more
Published on April 15, 2001 by mcbowers
talented indie rock musicians...
Karate is tight. Geoffs lyrics are awesome. Don't expect punk, this is jazzy rock, pretty mellow. The best way to describe it is like jazzy- Slint.
Published on March 26, 2001 by michael b nix
Karate grows from semi-spastic to semi-jazzy post rockers
If you've been following the works of Karate over the past few albums, you'll know that they seem to be moving away from the herky-jerky post-rock of 'In Place of Real Insight' to... Read more
Published on January 18, 2001 by B. Compton
emo lite?
Few discussions about karate don't have the term "emo" in them. it seems like every time they release a record, they have the fight off that label, like a medieval... Read more
Published on January 16, 2001 by Ross Gianfortune
great, its just.....great
i recently saw them in san francisco just like one of the other reviewers, and i thought it was astonishing. Read more
Published on December 25, 2000 by "prettyclouds26"
Amazing
This is their best album to date hands down... the bed is in the ocean was phenomenol but unsolved takes a step beyond both in complexity and musicianship... best album of 2000...
Published on December 6, 2000 by Dennis
A letdown after their last album
"The bed is in the ocean" is Karate's previous album, and it was awesome. So I was disappointed with this. Read more
Published on November 17, 2000
Great Cd!
these guys are really talented and can pay some music. definite buy. if u like this kind of musci then u should really get this
Published on October 29, 2000
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