Customer Reviews

We R In Need Of A Musical ReVoLuTIoN!

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Esthero is sure to win the hearts of disgruntled music fans everywhere, in the opening moments of the EP, "We R In Need of a Musical ReVoLuTIoN!" It opens with the announcement, "I'm so sick and tired/of the s**t on the radio/on MTV they only play same thing/no matter where I go, I see Ashanti in the video/I want something MORE!" Well, who can disagree?

It takes a certain amount of guts and flair to successfully harpoon the flaws of the music industry, or to demand to know why "a grown-ass man can videotape a little girl/but we still see his mug up on our video screens." Alas, the rest of the album isn't quite as riveting or as bold. But the Toronto singer's jazzy-funky-trippy-retropoppy sound is colorful enough to keep listeners stuck there.

Things get a bit softer from there on, with a medley of sweet love (or loss of love) songs, such as the romantic jazz-piano ballad "Everyday is a Holiday (With You)," which seems ideal for some future Zach Braff movie, the mournful "Gone," the sweet farewell "This Lullaby," softly trip-funky "I Drive Alone," and the airy, ambient "Amber And Tiger's Eye," which shows off Esthero's vocals to best advantage."

The second half of "We R In Need of a Musical ReVoLuTIoN" errs on the side of trippiness, rather than emphasizing the soulful jazz-trip-funk that makes up the first couple of songs -- as well as her forthcoming "Wikked Lil' Grrrls," which also contains those first couple of songs. In other words, it has one foot in her debut, one foot in her new album.

But this EP does show Esthero to her best advantage -- she can do gently trippy pop in the Portishead and Mazzy Star vein, and then can flip the coin and do jazzier, energetic dance music. Her husky, throaty voice can manage either style, and neither kind of music overwhelms her singing, no matter how many synths, drums or horns are packed in.

"We R In Need of a Musical ReVoLuTIoN" is a good transition EP, moving from her smoldering electronic debut to the newer soul-jazz-flavoured "Wikked Lil' Grrrls." Not quite a musical revolution, but a delight anyway.

...and I say AMEN TO THAT! For the longest time I've been curious to hear what Esthero has to offer, and albeit I still don't own her debut 'Breath From Another' I decided to order her latest EP based soley on the awesome message the album title conveyed. I am now extremely eager to buy everything she's ever released/contributed to up to this point in her career. I haven't been able to stop listening to this since the moment it arrived in the mail about a week ago and I am not the least bit disappointed. So your probably wondering why I gave this a rating of 4 stars then, right? Well, she's definitely not to fault here. It's more like my problem. Some of the styles she chose to work with really just aren't my thing. Therefore I can't seem to get into every song. I usually find myself strictly playing the title track, "This Lullabye", "I Drive Alone", and "Amber & Tiger's Eye" while skipping the other two. But by no means am I implying that they're bad (just not my thing, as I said before). Also, I wouldn't exactly say that she's treaded into untouched territory here because she doesn't reach any new levels with me. However, it's always nice to hear an artist experiment with their sound and explore many different genres (hence the reason for most EP's, right?), and I love her voice. The closest I can come to describing her flavor is perhaps a hybrid between Jem, Nelly Furtado, and a smidgen of Emiliana Torrini. You'll hear influences from bossa nova, smooth r&b, lush chillout and melodic trip-hop. And the opening lines, which she sings acapella but in a robust kind of way, will immediately grab your attention: "I'm so sick and tired of the s--t on the radio / MTV, they only play the same thing / No matter where I go I see Ashanti on the video... I WANT SOMETHING MORE... We're in need of a musical revolution... We're so tired of the same old same old."

I am very impressed and, once again, I close with AMEN!

This girl can do no wrong. She's been ill since Breath From Another. Many thought that since Esthero and Doc went their separate ways she would fall off or something, but she's proven through O.G. B_____ and this EP that she's as Original as ever and here for the haul. The title track is so true that it just screams to get banged at high volume. Everyday is A Holiday reminds me of this Kostars song probably because they both feature Sean Lennon, either way, It's tight. Gone is just sick Period. Cee-lo and E sounded great together on the Slam soundtrack (she's the only reason I bought the soundtrack,even though the movie was gravy). This Lull-A-Bye is mad mello and showcases her voice well. Actually the whole EP does that quite nicely. I Drive Alone and the bonus track are more of the same that I've come to realize is the genius of this woman. She's Beautiful too. Doesn't hurt to be easy on the eyes (I can say that right?)
Like I said in my title I'm an Underground HipHop Artist myself who listens to Aesop Rock and the Def Jukies, Living Legends, Little Brother, Rhymesayers, Weightless, Sage Francis, Hieroglyphics, and Immortal Technique. My musical tastes transcend all boundaries which is why I'm truly feeling Esthero, Goapele,Bjork, Emiliana Torrini, Kostars, Luscious Jackson, and Jerzee Monet. Esthero has been chilling in my top 3 since her first album.
You GOTTA peep this if you like originality in this new age of recycled plain popcorn. Also, check it out if you're feeling anyone that I mentioned above.
My only question is who was she talking about for the O.G. B---- single? She was heated on that one.
Peace
Raesho

I have been following esthero for a long time. I love all of her music including the songs on We R in Need of a Musical Revolution. I would recommend this cd.

I can't wait for Esthero's full length cd. On this brief EP Esthero shows that Doc didn't make her and that she was as much responsible for the Brillance of "Breath from Another" as he was. Once again expanding musical boundaries, Esthero dives into an eccletic mix of lounge, rock, soul, & Bossa Nova. She shows she is a true artist and that a true artists always evolves instead of always trying to duplicate familiar material. So, I am happy that she didnt' try to duplicate the Genius of "Breath From Another" instead she used as a way to transition herself into other musical genres. I look forward to hearing more stuff from her in the future. She's one of the artists that you wonder "What is she going to do next", which is very exciting. This is an essential record!

Esthero the band the girl are right on time for 2005. On this masterpiece don't expect to hear tired out trip hop but strictly more world underground influences. From soulful downtempo and jazzy bossa nova.."Esthero"..for those ready for musical growth.

First, I might've given this album 5 stars but for the impression that it's incomplete and as such trying to fill an extreme void of anticipation for this immeasurably talented and sadly overlooked artist. Yes, it's an EP -- but even for an EP the songs are all over the place, each song like an hors d'oeuvre in Esthero's music style buffet. Each of the six tracks is produced by a different combination of collaborators, and while each track bears Esthero's thumbprint on co-production, there's a weakness in having too many fingers in the pie.

But it's Esthero's vocal stylings--her slightly-burred, smooth-as-chocolate voice combined with her knack for putting just exactly the right tone to every stylistic interpretation--that makes "We R In Need..." such a (guilty) sonic indulgence. The title track and "Gone" (which features Cee-Lo Green) both recall her recent single release "O.G. Bitch" with their hip-hop rhythms and funky bass lines; "I Drive Alone" is a trip-hop pleaser with Buddha Bar-esque percussion; "This Lullaby" (like the non-album bonus track "I Love You" also from O.G. Bitch) has an easygoing, Brazilian samba beat replete with horn section and Esthero "bah-bah-bahdah-ah-aah"ing her way gently over the guitar track; "Everyday Is A Holiday (WIth You)" is a light, fluffy bit of happy-go-lucky, Beatlesque retro pop and even features Sean Lennon on piano and guitar; and "Amber and Tiger's Eye", the album's so-called *bonus track*, has Esthero doing her best ambient electronica à la "Swallow Me" (Breath From Another).

This final track, though lovely and perfect for a candlelit bath surrounded by incense, is probably the weakest of the six (although not in and of itself), because there's almost nothing rhythmically, stylistically or vocally tying it to the other five numbers. The underlying instrumentals--mainly synthesizers, distorted strings and atmospheric effects--stretch out across seven-and-a-half minutes for a somewhat eerie, I'm-standing-on-a-cliff-in-the-fog-somewhere-in-Scotland experience. Hence, I'm willing to bet, the afterthought of adding it as a "bonus track".

For the record, Esthero has proved with the EP "We R In Need of a Musical Revolution" that she can samba, trip-hop, funk, torch, balladeer, and rock out with the best of them. But for her next full-length follow up to "Breath From Another" hopefully she'll have sorted out her schizophrenic tastes and gotten them to all get along in the same room. But I give it four stars, if not for sheer audacity, then for the fact that Esthero is one of those rare artists' artist--hey, she ain't no Ashanti or Brittany Spears...and thank heaven for that--who refuses to conform to anyone's idea of what women in music should be or sound like.

Esthero is truly a talented artist. This recent EP showcases the versatility of her voice and music. She serves up some trip hop, pop, R&B with rap, and some ambient sounds. Recently saw her perform one of the tracks, "Gone", along with unreleased material from her upcoming LP and it was awesome. Esthero has been overlooked by record buyers and perhaps been cursed by anxious critics. I will say though that she has never disappointed me with her music, her voice is pure and real and she doesn't take herself too seriously but still manages to make a point. If you like music for it's quality as opposed to its commercial value, then Esthero is for you.

i was a little unnerved when i had read earlier reviews, could E have slipped so far? well, as soon as i had the cd in my player i knew the negative reviews were totally off base. she is back with a vengeance, sounding more mature and sonically honed than ever. her voice has only improved over the years, as well as her ability to manipulate it. additionally, her stories are all the more relevant and impacting. complex, emotional and mature. granted, each song on the ep is drastically juxtaposed against the others, but such is the purpose of an ep, an opportunity to showcase strong songs that might not fit within an album's theme. she shows she is powerful across several musical genres, and provides a beautiful and intriguing prelude of what's to come.

I'm a fan who just discovered Esthero last year. I originally heard from her on the "Country Livin" remix she did with Goodie Mob a few years back. I finally got a hold of Esthero's album last spring and boy was I impressed. Every track was incredible. I've been waiting for her new release and, for now, this EP satisfies my appetite. Every song on the EP is excellent in my opinon. Some people my not like the eclectic sound of the EP, but I typical prefer artist who mix it up and explorer different styles and themes in thier music. (Outkast is my favorite group. I found Esthero by listening to Goodie Mob, which is part of the same Dungeon Family collective as Kast) Anyway, "I Drive Alone" should appease old fans that are looking for a similar sound... however, I think it's obvious that Esthero is exploring new genres and new ideas. (C'mon, the trip-hop scene died years ago!). "Everyday is a Holiday" is possibly one of the happiest song's I've ever heard in my life. It's something that has a beautiful, yet simple musical arrangment, but it is something that will put a smile on your face every time you hear it. "Gone" is a great R&B ballad with great acoustic guitar work and great lyrics. Cee-Lo Green does a great job on backup vocals and rapping over the track. (You might want to check out Cee-Lo's solo material as well). "This Lullaby" is purely Brasilian samba music. I just got back from a trip to Brasil Nov. 2004 and hearing this come from Esthero really impressed me. It has an excellent melody and E's voice has never sounded better. "We R in Need" is a great rock track with an even better message. And "Amber and Tiger's Eye" might remind you of some old skool Kate Bush or Bjork. It's just a track that showcases E's voice over a string arrangment. It's far from mainstream, and I think Esthero likes to keep it that way. Anyway, this is a great EP and I'm sure her album will blow many people away. This EP is HIGHLY recommended.