Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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111 of 117 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another eclectic wonder from Blue October, April 5, 2006
The thing about Blue October that is going to be, and has been, a roadblock for them is that they don't really have a "mainstream niche." Take a look at "History for Sale" and you will see instantly what I'm talking about. The songs range from folk, to harder rock to almost everything in between. You'll hear some country-ish music, their big hit from that album "Calling You" was definitely pop-ish. It's very eclectic and not content with being one genre. A similar, at times even more so, situation happens with their new album, "Foiled."
You're going to see a lot of disparate reviews here. For someone who purchases this album thinking he or she is going to find an entire album of "Hate Me"-esqe songs, he or she will invariably be disappointed. The journey will involve touching on more folk, hard rock, pop, dance music, music that seems influenced by the 80s (and reminds me of a Dido song), etc etc. Are the individual songs bad? No, I don't think one song on here is bad. They are all different though. I happen to not like dance music and so I don't really care fo "X-Amount Of Words." I'm more a fan of hard music, or music with an edge to it so I really like "Hate Me" and, even more so, "Drilled A Wire Through My Cheek." However, the next reviewer will probably be the exact opposite.
And here is where they are going to have that problem I spoke about earlier. None of the songs are unified around a single or couple genres. Justin and crew effortlessly surf through the different genres and feels without much care. For people like me, it's not a problem. I have a very eclectic taste in music and I like almost every song on this cd. But for others, the wide divergence might not do it for them. I bet there will be at least one song on this album for everyone. But for a person who doesn't like the other genres, this album might be a turn off.
Which is a shame. One thing about Blue October's songs is that they are filled with some terrific lyrics, whether melancholy or upbeat. And each song really fits in with the feeling of the lyrics, blending together perfectly. It's a terrific cd that is a roller-coaster of both emotions and song types that is never content to just sit there.
I do think Blue October is at the top of their game when they sing their harder music like "Drilled A Wire Through My Cheek" and I think it would be absolutely fantastic to hear an album comprised of rock in this mold. But they aren't going to do that because they obviously like a wide range of music. I commend them for it, but I cringe because it's going to be a hard treck. Fortunately for me, it's one I'm willing to go on.
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33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
In Recovery During A Blue October., June 29, 2006
Every once in a while I find a band that stands apart from the rest of the shlock, and this year it's Blue October. "Foiled" is my first exposure to the band, but it's their fourth album. I saw it in the top 100 sellers here at Amazon, listened to the sound samples and liked what I heard. After listening to this cd a dozen times I am amazed this guys aren't superstars yet.
"Foiled" runs a wide range of emotions, and all the songs have something to do with therapy, changing or healing. It's sometimes cathartic like "Hate Me", "What If We Could" or "Drilled A Wire Through My Cheek". At other times its uplifting and moving like "You Make Me Smile", "She's My Ride Home" or "Congratulations" (with the wonderful vocals of Imogen Heap. And then there are times when it's quietly thoughtful as with "18th Floor Balcony" and the hidden track that follows it. Relationships and their ups and downs seem to be the theme of the album with "Overweight", "Fall Into The Ocean" and "Let It Go" all dealing with adjusting yourself to accommodate another.
"Foiled" has so many different musical styles to fit each mood each song wants to project, that it makes the cd a complete pleasure to listen over and over again. I'm not without criticism though. I think "Sound Of Pulling Heaven Down" and "Everlasting Friend" are the two weakest tracks on the disc and should have been left as b-sides. Also, while listening to "Foiled" I felt they sounded like somebody, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I eventually determined that one band they seemed similar to in a few ways is Collective Soul. I know on "She's My Ride Home" I definitely heard The Cure in the guitar playing.
If you haven't heard Blue October, this is the time to immerse yourself. I am now going back and buying their first three albums. It's been almost three months since the release of "Foiled" and I'm already looking forward to their next album!
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Painting music..., March 14, 2007
Foiled represents a musical amalgamation of emotions put to sound. From start to finish, one experiences shifting altitudes. From sinking hard & fast to the bottom and floating on the top of a turbulent ocean, to drifting & buffeting against winds amidst atmospheric clouds. And then, finally, we are shot into space to tumble through the ether.
Blue October can play (really play) but they are mechanics & artists of experience. This work represents an engineering and creative masterpiece that evokes memories of past masters of similar artistry, like Genesis and Marillion. Yet there is something completely novel that instills every song with a fresh and unique sound that beats and breathes. These guys don't write songs; they paint music.
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