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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mesmerizing is an inadequate word , March 14, 2005
I write this review as I listen to Wiser for the first time, and I am in devoted awe. This can not possibly be a freshman effort! It is far too polished and confident of itself while avoiding the "new-artist-trying-to-establish-its-mark" pretense.
Halou's Wiser is not a continuously mixed album, but it nonetheless demonstrates a cohension I have not heard from any album in recent memory. Each track is a seperate and complete entity in and of itself, and yet each seems a natural extension of all the others.
The album really hits full stride after track four ("Political"). The following track, "I'll Carry You," is absolutely amazing. Its sweeping score and divine vocals sets you on an introspective journey that only finds closure when you've arrived at the very last decaying note of the final track. What's remarkable is that I haven't even begun to digest Halou's lyrics for the simple fact the music has taken custody of my undivided attention and has not yet let go. I look foward to my many hours of exploration.
I'm sure prospective buyers would appreciate some reference points, so here's seven of my comparisions to other artists/albums of similiar genre:
1) Mandalay: Solace. Vocals share a whispery quality, although Halou's has more tangible body. Likewise, Wiser is a richer, more symphonic album then Solace. While Solace is uncluttered to perfection, Wiser is deep and rich to perfection.
2) Goldfrapp: Felt Mountain. Felt Mountain is a venerable classic. Goldfrapp's first album is underscored with subdued melancholy whereas Wiser possesses happier subtexts set against the backdrop of the same down-tempo beats.
3) Baxter: Baxter. I've always found Baxter slightly (and beautifuly) sinister. Halou, in comparision, is angelic. You will find little if any angst in Wiser.
4) Daughter Darling: Sweet Shadows. Let me first say this album is pure genious. Sweet Shadows is more dynamic then Wiser, with a greater range of moods. On the flip side: It's neither as euphonic nor as coherent as Wiser. Both have a lot of acoustical accompaniment that perfectly blends with their organic electronica.
5) Airlock: Drystar. Trip-hop with more of a DJ-culture then Halou. Track two ("Slipinside") is probably the closest kin to the songs on Wiser. In comparision, I can't help but feel Airlock is a more shallow album. For me (and remember, this is just me), the arrangements on Drystar are taken at face value whereas Wiser invites continual exploration.
6) Ethero: Breath From Another. Ethero infuses many hip-hop elements. Halou, on the other hand, has no hip hop influence I can detect. Wiser is a more introspective album then Breath From Another.
7) Emiliana Torrini: Love in the Time of Science. I love this album, and more precisely, the artist. Torrini is a bonafide poet and songwriter masquerading as a singer (and a good one at that!). Love in the Time of Science journeys through a spectrum of emotions, ranging from carefree youth to quiet desperation. Halou's Wiser is more monochrome in emotion (which subsequently grants Wiser its remarkable cohesion). Like every other albums listed above, Wiser is more sweeping and symphonic then Torrini's work. But it is apples and oranges, and both are delicious!
How shall I describe Halou's Wiser? Beautiful, grand, emotive, ethereal, transcendent, lush, powerful, honest, uncontrived .... words feel desperately inadequate. I bought this album "blind" since unfortunately Amazon does not have track samples for Wiser. As it turns out, this is undisputely my best purchase this year. I am supremely confident that you, too, will appreciate Halou's masterpiece.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ethereal trip-hop torchsongs, November 4, 2001
Singer Rebecca has a wonderfully rich voice--you'll hear Liz Fraser, Sarah Cracknell and Sinead O'Connor in her style. Boy-wonder Ryan is as inventive as the guy from Lamb, with nodds to drum & bass, jazz and ambient. It's a light, sensual sound, to be placed between Portishead, Goldfrapp and St. Etienne.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How does it feel?, February 11, 2002
I have followed this husband and wife act from their early days in San Francisco. That Nettwerk has picked them up is a blessing, for now the rest of the world can feel the ebb and flow of Halou's ocean. I place Halou in a more electronic camp. That is to say, there's nothing "funky" here, as one might want if looking for "trip hop". The album does fit well with a downtempo/trip hop description. There is a wash of glowing electronic vibrance, with Rebecca Cosboom's angelic vocals interwoven. I particularly like the sound-treatments on the vocals. I must admit that earlier versions of some songs (on Ubiquity?) are still my favorites, so if you are a collector, you might enjoy the variations you hear.
If you enjoy Puracane, Lamb, Mandalay, Collide and thier ilk, you'll find Halou a worthy purchase. Be sure to check out "Thorn Apple", a collaboration project between Halou and several other San Francisco area based musicians!
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