Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Instant Pleasure an apt title, December 17, 2007
This is an excellent album that should be purchased by anyone who likes great songwriting in the "Britpop" style, Beatlesque production values, and intricate harmony vocals that remind me of middle-period Lennon/McCartney (with perhaps a touch of Simon and Garfunkel here and there), the Vinyl Kings (another incredible band, BTW) and Jellyfish (there's even a guest appearance by Jellyfish vocalist Andy Sturmer, singing backup). The songs are all exactly the right length, and the arrangements are gorgeous -- there's not an ounce of filler on this album.
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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
the more i listen..., March 14, 2009
The more I listen to Instant Pleasure the more I think Seth Swirsky's closest friends must have written the other reviews of this album. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate it. I don't even dislike it. However, the previous reviews make Swirsky sound like the second coming of the 1965 era Beatles and that, to me, is absolutely laughable.
What you'll get if you choose to purchase this record is not fine songwriting nor fine musicianship. What you'll get is pretty basic songwriting (musically speaking) by a less than talented lyricist. He's got a good voice, though the fake British accent on Herman Cherry (track 2) and Ordinary Man (track 10)sounds really transparent to me. Someone else reviewing this album made a John Lennon reference. Lennon never sounded as British as Swirsky does on that track, which is comical considering Swirsky is (I believe) Californian.
I understand the desire to categorize someone like Seth Swirsky as an "intelligent Brit Pop" songwriter. That style of music is something the world needed desperately when it first came along and has not gotten enough of since. However, the food that will feed that desire is NOT Instant Pleasure, as hard as Swirsky may try to make it so.
If you want intelligent British Pop influenced by the Beatles or the 1960s in general try XTC's Skylarking album, Squeeze's earlier recordings (ending around the Frank album if not earlier, Elvis Costello before he decided to saturate every possible musical genre with his name and Nick Lowe. As a matter of fact, rather than comparing Swirsky to the Beatles, Nick Lowe is a much more logical musical parallel to draw (for evidence of that claim, listen to "It's Still Love"'s chorus and the instrumentation/ effects).
At the risk of being long winded, I feel I should note Swirsky's lyrics. "All I want is someone to love me- Give me sex whenever I want it- All I want is Instant Pleaure." (Instant Pleasure) "And I've traded in my cell phone- for a book of poetry- And I read it to my lover- As she's lying next to me" (Ordinary Man). Why would you have to trade in a cell phone for a book of poetry? How is poetry reading indicative of an "ordinary man?" Does owning a cell phone equal not reading with your loved one? As my wife said, "how old is he?" Well said. Swirsky's lyrics do not have the tone of someone who is experienced enough in life to deserve the accolades he has received from anyone reviewing this album. It is simply a functional album with some bright moments.
On the positive side, Instant Pleaure does have some catchy tunes with nicely placed orchestration. Five stars worth? Absolutely not? $8 worth? Sure, what the hell. As long as you don't go into it like I did- suckered by the other reviewers on Amazon. This album is a 2 star record on a bad day, 3 stars on a good day. There isn't enough sunshiny weather out there to warrant giving it more than that. Again, if you want a similar style with more intelligence in both the lyrics, musicianship and overall quality of record, try Squeeze, XTC, Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello's early stuff and (if you don't mind an American who doesn't try to sound British) Michael Penn (who is a far superior songwriter in every possible sense and overlooked far too much).
p.s. I am personally skeptical when I read a bunch of reviews that praise a product and then one that stands out as the sole negative review. I wonder how one person managed to have such a differing opinion about something and assume it has some personal roots. Let me assure you Seth Swirsky never stole my girlfriend away from me nor did he beat me up in High School. As a matter of fact, I've never met him and hadn't even heard of him until I heard Rufus Wainwright covering Instant Pleasure. The reason my review sounds soooo much more negative than others is simply that I wanted to offer some reality in an otherwise fantasy driven world of reviews. Go ahead and buy the album- just know that you are NOT getting the fifth Beatle or even the fifth Monkee for that matter.
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6 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reviews, May 6, 2005
2005 Pop Album of The Year nominee, L.A. Music Awards.
"Fifth Beatle? Seth Swirsky has recorded a Fab Four - influenced album...a melodic, earnest collection of Beatles - influenced pop."
-Kevin Bronson, Los Angeles Times
"The vibe of this album is just something you have to hear to believe. Bringing up fond memories of such greats as The Beatles, and John Lennon. This is the type of music you play on a hot summer day, with the top down, trucking down the scorching hot interstate. It's just infectious pop music, pure and simple -- A great little slice of pop heaven."
-Trent Moore, Aversion.com
"This release is to the music connoisseur what a gourmet meal is to the hungry restaurant patron -- fulfilling, satisfying, and memorable. "It's Still Love" shows why Seth Swirsky has been referred to as the fifth Beatle. "
-Madd, Evilsponge.org
"...highly pleasurable, low-key pop, often venturing into very stunningly pretty chamber-pop territory."
-Amplifier Magazine
"He'll win fans with his candor (and) understated vocals that work perfectly with his eccentric lyrics. Hammond B3 organ, cello, violin, mandolin, flute and layered vocal harmonies create a production rivaling Revolver-era Beatles.
Overall, Swirsky delivers an album of flawless pop songs. Check it out for some instant-and lasting-pleasure."
-Performing Songwriter Magazine
"Seth writes with the same intimacy that can be found on my favorite tracks from Lennon/McCartney, sixties Paul Simon and more recently Elliott Smith. By the end of the album you feel as if you spent a week at his house guest. I host an all Beatles show yet I play Seth's CD...need I say anymore?"
-Chris Carter, Breakfast with the Beatles, 97.1 KLSX, Los Angeles
"Talk about your instant pleasures! Heh! It seldom gets as immediate as this, boys and girls. Like honey dripping from the beehive, Swirsky pours it on thick and sweet with healthy dollops of pristine power pop. Sophisticated melodies, simple productions and a straightforward delivery will guarantee the sugary pop high only the best pop tunesmiths can dispense. The fact that the Rembrandts and Andy (Jellyfish) Sturmer guest star is mere icing on the cake."
-Kevin Mathews, Nighttimes.com
"Seth's voice is clear, pleasant and understated, never detracting from these uber-catchy melodies and intriguing lyrical portraits."
-Gary Glauber, PopMatters.com
"Swirsky's debut solo album is stocked deep with 11 masterfully crafted, first-class songs that will get inside your head and go so deep, they're likely to grow roots.Mind you, an album so rooted in the pure pop aesthetic isn't an easy creation; if it were, everybody with a guitar would make one just like it. Songwriting smarts this, well, smart, are hard to come by, and harder still to make work for 11 straight songs, but Swirsky, the musical magician, does, and in grand style."
-Alan Haber, Buhdge.com
"...'Butterfly on Jupiter' could have easily turned up on Sgt. Pepper in one incarnation or another."
-Johnny Suede, NoHo LA Magazine
"...a mini-opera, brilliantly utilizing strings, woodwinds, synthesized sounds, and multi-layered harmonies atop a buoyant rhythm section."
-Tom Semioli, Minor7th.com
"Give this one a listen...YOU WILL BE HOOKED!!"
-Jeff Vallet, Jay Vee Music
"While other popsters sing about love and romance in lofty, gossamer terms, Swirsky is Marvin Gaye, whisper-singing "let's get it on" in no uncertain term. The song structure on Instant Pleasure is so beautiful and delicate...so beguiling and seductive.Chances are that you've already heard a Swirsky-written song on the radio over the past ten or fifteen years. When the pendulum eventually swings back towards sanity and away from the dreck that currently dominates the industry, bet on hearing Seth Swirsky singing one of his own songs on your local FM station. Instant Pleasure provides just that, the album marking the emergence of a talented wordsmith and craftsman working in a classic '60s-styled songwriting vein."
-Kevin Gordon, Alt-Culture Guide, mondogordo.com
"...a combination of pop, rock and folk that is delicate and comforting."
-Dina Mystris, Subba-Cultcha.com
"Chock full of sumptious harmonies, stick in the brain choruses, witty lyrics, and swooning melodies, Instant Pleasure evokes all the great pop merchants both old school (the Beatles, the Kinks, Big Star) and new (Eels, Jellyfish, Fountains of Wayne)."
-Gina, EOMentertainment.com
"...both decadent and humble; one part Paul McCartney, two parts Noel Gallagher; a lyrical poet, a whimsy poet."
-Erick Mertz, CosmikDebris.com
"From the opening riff to the last chord, this is high quality stuff that you really shouldn't miss out on. An instant classic."
-PopBang.com
"This album sounds like the Spin Doctors, like Jude, like Sondre Lerche...a poppy, sensitive-guy crooner..."
-JR, Impact Press
"Nicely orchestrated, Swirsky's work is one of those 'tis about time!' recordings."
-phenomeNEWS.com
"Swirsky's story-telling style is engrossing."
-Valley Scene Magazine
"A well-produced, modern, clever pop album"
-Modern.net
"Truly a renaissance man in the classic sense, it's his songs that are his forte and will garner him the ultimate fame and admiration."
-Smother.net
"...a strong, pleasing effort that melds classic styles with the contemporary power-pop genre."
-Liam Thomson, StateofEmergency.net
"...awash in harmony and melody, a throwback to the sounds of more idealistic decades gone by...laced with Beatle spirit, complete with George Harrison-style guitars and dreamy backing harmonies...A beautiful, understated honey of a pop record."
-John Borack, Fufkin.com
"...an Elvis Costello-like tenor. The tracks are perfectly pieces of popular culture, mixing in strong Beatles and shoe-gazer pop (Herman Cherry) in an inoffensive style of music that will reach the largest group in society."
-Neufutur.com
"...irresistible power-pop songs...a distinctly Beatlesque collection, richly textured and crafted.
-David Kidman, NetRhythms.co.uk
"An album full of moments that effortlessly steal you away into the beautiful scenes that Swirsky constructs. Instant Pleasure showcases extraordinary talent and something that has been missing from music at large: depth of content surrounded by irresistible sounds, beautiful, rich and warm and filled with expression. Yes!"
-Bruce Brodeen, NotLame.com
"...the laconic vocals, buoyant melodies, and the occasional admissions of awkward self-doubt make it charming."
-Ian Viggers, Joyzine.co.uk
"One of the best power pop cds to come out this year. Seth Swirsky sounds like a perfect blend of Beatles, Jellyfish and Merrymakers. Fantastic and essential!"
-Jeremy Morris, JamRecordings.com
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by Seth Swirsky 
