Customer Reviews

On Your Side

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Even Johansen's 2001 masterpiece "Quiet & Still" remains one of my favorite albums of all time, so I was quite excited to find out about his new band MAGNET. I was also a little worried that he would change his sound drastically like he did with Libido. REJOICE! Even has definately made one of the best albums of 2004 and it gets better every time I listen to it. Mostly gone is the alt-country that graced alot of the tracks on "Quiet & Still". Added to the mix are a bit of subtle electronic sounds & beats and nice swelling strings. Both are a great match for his gentle voice. There is not a bad track on this album, and the US bonus tracks (from UK singles) are superb additions. I can't wait to see what he does next.

So I'm sure most are considering this album because of the fantastic song "Lay Lady Lay." The truth is, this song is very atypical of the rest of Magnet's work in "On Your Side." It's much more of a newer Radiohead meets Coldplay type sound that is very mellow and somewhat experimental in their sound uses. I definitely do not regret purchasing the album, however, I'd recommend listening to the other tracks before jumping in. Some songs, such as "The Day We Left Town" are absolutely beautiful, and "My Darling Curse" interestingly samples the drum beat exactly from Brubeck's "Take Five" (not sure if this is intentional or not). By the by, it's a pretty good album and will definitely grow on you - it took some time to grow on me. So, if you're contemplating the album simply for Lay Lady Lay, buy the single on iTunes, but if you're looking for a mellow/jazzy/ambient album, you'll like the rest of what Magnet has to offer.

From the outset, Evans voice sooths you with its soft airy quality. The first 7 tracks are outstanding. Highlights for me being "The Last Day of Summer" and the "Day We were Leaving Town". The cover of Dylan's "Lay lady lay" accompanied by Irish singer songwriter Gemma Hayes is one of the few times I've heard Dylan covered successfully. I dare say its even better than the original, the huge orchestral accompaniment makes me think it may have turned up on a film soundtrack, but I don't know that for sure. As a producer, the highlight of this record for me is the quirky brave layers of jangles, bells, lapsteel guitar and clever use of keyboards and adhoc sounds. This album manages almost never to be driven along by guitars yet doesn't at all sound glossy.

My best buy of 2004!

Martin

Bottom line

I heard the song "Where Happiness Lives" on a compilation CD from UNCUT magazine. I was moved by its beauty and the meshing of steel guitars with lush strings. After buying the CD and listening to all of the songs, I feel like someone has poured cool water over my ears. Sigur Ros, Radiohead, Bjork, and Jeff Buckley rolled into one! That said, it is still completely original. Even Johansen, if you read this, thank you for making this music. Soul.

Peace,
Vivillo

Magnet create dreamy, ethereal music for weary late nights and gentle heartbreak. I was drawn to this CD with the quite incredible single 'The Day We Left Town', which is surely one of the songs of 2003, a simply perfect blend of off-kilter strings, sound effects and heart-rendering vocals, balladic yet grandiose and full of ambition, in stark contrast to much of the modern indie scene. The album delivers much more of the same and is a true, flowing mood CD: a perfect soundtrack for late-night comedown - not some cliched chillout or indie but touching, imaginative songwriting. Other highlights include the pastoral 'Where Happiness Lives' and the almost Eastern closer 'Smile To The World'. Like a blend of Jeff Buckley, Conor Oberst and Mercury Rev. Reccomended.

I can't believe that it actually took me until 2007 to discover this album. What a wonderful album to find. Reminds me of Badly Drawn Boy and Elliot Smith in contemporary emo-folk fashion but he does it all his own way and it fits beautifully. I am listening to this album constantly right now and it is sure to move into my "Top 25 of all time" albums.

Great Album. I had heard a few songs off the album a few months ago, and forgot about it. After seeing it on this site, i decided to just buy the album and hope the rest of the tracks were as good as the few i had heard. It paid off. Great album to chill to and fall asleep with.

It took some time for this CD to grow on me but now it's one of my top five all-time favorites. The stand-out tracks include Where Happiness Lives, The Day We Left Town, Lay Lady Lay, and Wish Me Well, though the entire CD has an extremely pleasing sound. Solid songwriting, good lyrics, and an interesting use of different sounds make this a stand-out CD well worth purchasing.

This album has a range of beautiful sounds from beginning to end, including that of singer Even Johansen. His voice is smooth and melodic -- it's the type of voice that would sit well with almost any palette. This album is pleasant, charming and hauntingly beautiful. I would consider it one of my top 5 album purchases in recent years.

I bought this CD after buying Quite and Still because I just couldn't get enough of Even Johansen's voice and musical style.
This is a fantastic album and the cover of "Lay Lady Lay" would make Dylan proud.