Customer Reviews

The Young Machines

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

 

 

If you know this man's catalog, it's all over the place. Fortunately, Bianchi's Manic Expressive made enough impact for this follow-up. Not only do I agree with the last reviewer, the lyrics on this one are truly heart-felt, personal and revealing. One track, Tech Romance, is a perfectly crafted lyric about death, a shared moment for his now-past grandmother (I can totally relate to his mistake)...Anyone who bought into Manic Expressive will be just as pleased with The Young Machines. It is a solid 5 stars for anyone who enjoys his material.

With the loss of Elliott Smith I found that this album helped fill the void. The first song (and what I would call by far the best) I heard was the modern masterpiece "Sleepy California." What really amazes me about Her Space Holiday is the ability to blend such serious and somber lyrics with music that you can't help but groove to. This album is truly great in a time when all other music seems to be travelling down hill at a fast rate. I think Smith fans as well as Radiohead or Pedro the Lion listeners would all find something to love in this album.

Marc Bianchi is going through some tough time, and he turns all that misery into magical ear pleasure, completed with soothing beats, ringing strings, playful noises, and his lovely vocal. A record of personal revelations, his beats warm your heart when you are down, make you wanna dance when things are good, and can also be good background music when you're just doing school or office works. A very skillful and delicate balance that seems so natural, with zero pretention. A masterwork of indie pop.

I wasn't familiar with Bianchi's work and picked up Manic Expressive literally by accident. That album piqued my interest, but The Young Machines is such a joy. I have no idea how someone can turn so much pain into a thing of such beauty. He even manages to make the venom-spewing song "Meet the Pressure" alluring--you can't help tapping along. As "Tammy" says below, he has created a rich, emotional landscape that beckons, even as it promises to be a rollercoaster.

This is a great album,I would rather listen to it then shoot my dad in the foot anyday...

The year 2001 was a good year for Her Space Holidays multi-instrumentalist Marc Bianci, and this was reflected on the electronic ode to his girlfriend which was the album Manic Expressive. 2002, however was a terrible one, a death in the family and the subsequent separation from his girlfriend leave The Young machines as a moving yet lyrically bitter affair. Recorded in self inflicted solitude on his laptop and driven by ever-present loops and samples wrapped in searing electronic orchestration Bianchi finds a medium through which to murmurs grievances at his ex (My Girlfriends Boyfriend) his distance from home (South Carolina) and the regrettable state of his life (The Luxury Of Loneliness). A hauntingly beautiful experience.

The Young Machines is what happens when you hit a hard state of depression, a close family member passes away, your relationship problems are through the roof, and it has ended.

Marc, the single man behind Her Space Holiday, took all of this thoughts and feelings and put them into his beats and his voice. The album starts with the self titled track. Standout tracks include, Tech Romance, Japanese Gum, Sleepy California, and my personal favorite, The Luxury Of Lonliness. The beats are catchy as well as the melodies. Marc's voice definitely fits the tone for this cd: sad and depressing. The lyric content deals with the death of his grandmother, falling in love with other girls while he is in a relationship, being cast aside, always being there for someone, and a few other depressing topics. If you like bands like Bright Eyes (Marc is very good friends with Conor), purely electronic bands like Styrofoam, getting this cd would be a very good idea. For starters, I would suggest listening to Home Is Where You Hang Yourself. Marc Had a few releases before that, but Home Is Where You Hang Yourself was his "coming of age" so to speak. If you are a long time fan of glitch music, get The Young Machines or Manic Expressive.

I love her space holiday. His lyrics are so heartfelt and personal. Every time I listen to him it makes me want to cry. In fact I think I have. He doesn't have to use any fancy symbolism or enigmatic metaphors. His lyrics are so simple they are almost profound in how they can pull at my heartstrings. The music sets such a beautiful mood to the lyrics and it conveys so many emotions. Listening to his songs makes me want to cry and dance and smile all at once.

After buying Young Machines last week I have not taken it out of my CD rotation even for one day. While their last long player, Manic Expressive seemed to have a bit more flow in it, Young Machines is more far reaching and harmonious in its exploration of sounds. The first four songs are pure musical ecstasy! Japanese Gum and Meet the Pressure are among the less impressive tracks. Another highlight track, My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, includes what sound like real drums...I believe a first for HSH.
Bianchi creates vivid landscapes of heartbreak and clarity that will inspire you while making you cry at the same time.

This album is definately a great buy and a must for a HSH fan.

3 1/2

Lush, lo-fi electronic pop orchestrations fight past a flat indie-voice and quirky production with genuine hard work, layering melody atop incisive post-teen commentary in a consistently earnest manner.